


Snaktooth's Last Secret

by Snaktooth-Investigators (Audio_Interference)



Category: Bugsnax (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, grumpinati
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:20:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29669244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audio_Interference/pseuds/Snaktooth-Investigators
Summary: A dark secret looms... One last mystery remains.This fic would not have been possible without @/Snorpington-Fizzlebean.tumblr.com aka Wheeled-jack. We did a lot of theorizing together and he edited this entire fic which took a BIG chunk of time.THERE WILL BE A COMPANION COMIC TO FOLLOW UP THIS FANFIC. When you get to the end, remember that it is NOT over.
Relationships: Filbo Fiddlepie/The Journalist, Gramble Gigglefunny/Wiggle Wigglebottom, Snorpy Fizzlebean/Chandlo Funkbun, Triffany Lottablog/Wambus Troubleham
Comments: 17
Kudos: 93





	1. Long Nights

“There’s something that’s been bothering me…” 

Filbo looked up from the pile of paper at his paws. He had a small, focused frown, as you had shaken him from his thoughts, but it curved into a friendly grin as your words registered. Filbo always smiled when you spoke to him. “What’s that, Buddy?”

You couldn’t help the small, reflexive smile that pushed the corners of your own mouth up, though it was easy to rub away with your paw, especially as you returned your focus to what was bugging you. Your eyes grew serious beneath the brim of your hat. 

“Lizbert’s ship.”

Filbo’s smile was now a neutral line. You tapped the map in front of you. 

“The night I arrived at Snaktooth island, I saw the wreckage briefly. That ship had been smashed to bits, and at Flavor Falls no less.”  
You looked up right as Filbo looked down. He shuffled the papers in front of him nervously, and the obvious change in demeanor grabbed your attention. You stared at him with a laser focus as you went on.

“According to Cromdo, the ship had been docked at the Boiling Bay. After he skipped town, he looked for it there, but it had vanished without a trace. Cromdo was the only one to even mention the ship.”

Filbo was scratching his cheek nervously. 

“If it was a giant bugsnak that destroyed the ship,” you continued, “Cromdo and the rest of the settlement would have known about it. What’s more, if it had been a bugsnak, then it would make no sense that the ship itself had been moved.” No, the wreckage seemed much more deliberate to you. You had only caught a glimpse, but the ship had been utterly shattered at the bottom of the cliffside, like someone had deliberately steered it against that jagged stone bluff. The location of the crash meant that almost nothing could have been recovered from the wreck. It was like it had been on purpose-

“Um. Buddy…?” Filbo glanced up at you with all the tentative shame of a puppy. “Yeah, that... That was me.” You blinked at him, surprise wiping your mind like a dry erase board. Filbo laughed sheepishly, but it was a nervous sound, not a happy one. His eyes flicked between yours and the papers in front of him. “I… It was an accident! Lizbert let me take it. I was trying to move it so it would be closer to the settlement, and I guess, the wind, it just, caught the sail weird…” He sighed. He was small in his seat, shoulders hunched in embarrassment. You wanted to put a paw on them to get him to uncurl.

“Liz covered for me… She kept it a secret. That’s why no one knew about the ship…”

You nodded a bit, processing. “…Hey, wait,” You squinted, and Filbo’s head snapped up as he looked at you with wide eyes.

“Didn’t you ask to sail my ship within the first few hours of knowing me?” You grinned, crossing your arms. You were laughing, and though it took a second for Filbo to laugh with you, he sounded genuinely relieved.

“Well, if at first you don’t succeed…!”

“Then borrow someone else’s equipment the next go around.” You finished, laughing. His shoulders had relaxed again, and he was smiling. It made your own grin grow.

“Give me some credit here! I piloted us out of there, didn’t I?” He teased as he prepared to get up.

You began gathering up your own papers. “You did, I’ll give you that one.” Your paws slowed as you looked down at your journal, your grin falling slightly. You rubbed at your mouth again as Filbo looked between you and your work.

“What’s the matter?” He asked softly.

You hummed quietly. It was nice having someone to talk to when you hit a rut like this. “Nothing… Just a feeling I have. Like I’m missing something.” You put your paw on your journal, as if the information you wanted would be released with the gentle ‘plap’ sound it made when your paw connected with its surface.

“Call it a journalistic instinct. I just feel like I haven’t figured something out yet. Like there’s an answer I need, but I don’t know what questions I have to ask to get at it.” You shook your head. The island had given up all of its relevant secrets. You knew what had happened to Lizbert. However, you still felt like there was some secret that you had left undiscovered. Something big. You were perplexed, but you couldn’t pin down why.

It surprised you when you felt Filbo’s paw on your shoulder, and you looked up at him thoughtfully. The smile he gave you was a surprisingly soft one. Your own smile shone through your eyes as much as it did your mouth. “…I guess it’s getting pretty late.” You admitted. Normally that wouldn’t have stopped you.

“Definitely. Let’s get some rest, okay? I think we’re almost done.” Filbo gave you a tired smile. You didn’t feel like you were close to done yet, but you only nodded.

“Need anything?” He hadn’t for the past three nights, but you asked anyway. It was weird actually having a guest in the guest room.

“No, just a good night’s rest, heh!” Filbo said, stretching. He headed toward his room, but he paused at the door and looked back at you with an easy smile. “Night, buddy.”

“Goodnight, Filbo.”

You laid in bed that night staring at the ceiling, the uncertainty hunting you inside your own head. Something was missing. Something was wrong. Eventually a light, uneasy sleep overtook you, and restless dreams of darkness and hidden eyes flitted through your mind until morning.


	2. Sunny Side Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast ala Buddy

You felt a little weird cracking eggs for breakfast. As you gave each shell a hard tap against the counter, you felt a small lurch of anxiety. Every time, a regular yolk plopped harmlessly into the bowl. You had cracked one more than you strictly needed to, just to be sure, but no cartoonish eyes greeted you this time either. Still, you regarded the remainder of the carton with a squint. 

When Filbo walked into the kitchen, you were on the last egg. You turned around as he entered, trying to discreetly push the pile of empty egg shells to the side before he noticed them.   
“Good mornin’, Buddy!” Filbo greeted cheerfully, rubbing an eye. You had shoved most of the eggshells behind a jar of pickles and a bottle of olive oil on the counter. 

“Uh, morning, Filbo. Have a seat. I hope you like scrambled eggs.” You hoped he liked them a lot. It was a whole carton’s worth. “...I think I need to see a therapist.” You said it half to yourself, and half as a joke, but Filbo still heard and took it seriously. 

“That’s… Probably not a good idea, Buddy...” He rubbed his head. “We can’t have anyone else finding out about Snaktooth, remember?” Filbo looked concerned. 

You were careful not to meet his eyes, shrugging casually as you stirred the eggs on the hot pan. It was reassuring to cook. You didn’t think you could ever eat takeout again. Not for a few years, at least. ...Or months. These eggs weren’t coming out great. “Yeah, I know, I know. I’ll get over it. It’s just funny that going to the grocery store has started to feel like exposure therapy.” You laughed halfheartedly, though it didn’t really feel that funny to you. 

You almost leapt out of your skin when a paw landed on your shoulder, you and Filbo both taking a step back. He had his paws up in surprise. “Sorry! Sorry, just…” He touched your arm lightly, worry tugging at his features. You covered the paw with your own without thinking. 

“This is just… Hard on everyone.” Filbo explained, eyes downcast. “I’m just really, really sorry. We could all probably use some therapy, and it makes me feel bad knowing we can’t risk it. But at least we have good friends, right…?” He chanced a glance at you, trying to smile. 

You wanted to hug him, but settled on patting the paw on your arm. “Yeah, of course.” You smiled back at him, though you were worried too. Filbo had lost his two closest friends on that island, and here he was apologizing to you. 

“Hey… We wouldn’t have gotten out of there if it wasn’t for you, Filbo. I don’t, uh…” You put down the spatula, putting your paws on your hips awkwardly. “I don’t think I told you this on the island, but you really did a good job. A good leader has to care about the people they’re leading, and believe in them, and ah, you do that better than anyone.” You finished quietly, glancing at his eyes. For a second, he looked vulnerable, brows furrowed as he pulled his paw back. He opened his mouth to say something and you frowned a bit yourself, leaning closer, when all of a sudden you became aware of the fact that the scrambled eggs were starting to pour smoke. 

“AH, OH WHOOPS,” You reached for the pan, almost knocking it off the burner. Filbo scrambled to help, making a false start towards the sink before reaching back to turn off the burner. 

“Buddy, why the grump did you have it turned up so high!?” He turned on the faucet for you as you held the pan, grimacing. 

“It cooks faster!” 

“How many eggs did you-”

“We’re having cereal.” You concluded, forcefully.


	3. Page Turner

“I’ve got to admit, you’ve got guts,” Clumby let your article slip out of her paws and onto her desk. The fact that she hadn’t thrown it into the paper bin immediately was encouraging.

“Tracking Lizbert down inside an erupting volcano…” You glanced at Filbo, who didn’t seem to notice, and instead continued to look forward with a polite, earnest expression. “It’s compelling, dramatic, sensational!” Clumby slammed her desk with her small fists as she said it, causing everything on the surface of the desk to jump. You knew from experience that the praise wasn’t a promise to print. You continued to hold your breath. 

Sure enough, her expression switched to a tired sneer the next second. “I’d call it fiction if you didn’t have this Filibus yahoo along as a witness.” She tossed her paws up slightly at the name. You were surprised for a second, but the feeling was snatched away as you saw Filbo start to open his mouth. Filbo, no…

“It’s Filbo, actually-” 

“Point is, you’re a regular Grumpter S. Thompson! Too bad those bugsnax weren’t real, huh?” She shook her head with an upward quirk at the corner of her mouth, watching Filbo.

“Ha ha, yeah, too bad...!” Grump, he sounded nervous. “I-I-I Hate to think we went through all that for nothing, so… Uhm… I hope you can spread the truth about Snaktooth before anybody else gets hurt!” Filbo frowned. 

“Don’t worry. GNN specializes in painful truths.” Clumby reassured him. “And speaking of…” She turned to you, which was the opposite of reassuring. “You’re fired!” 

You blinked at her. 

“This story’s a page-turner and all, but you lost your job the second you walked out that door!” 

Your mouth opened. “...Whaaat?” It came out kind of a soft wheeze. You meant to say ‘how dare you,’ but the indignant disbelief rising in you had collided with the shocking reality of being jobless, and as a result the part of your brain that was responsible for converting thoughts to speech had stopped working. 

Your expression was apparently still doing a good job of conveying your feelings, because Clumby let out a put upon “Oh, please.” She put a paw to her forehead. “It’s not like I expected you to come back!” She actually sounded insulted that you had lived. She looked up, having remembered something. “Also, you’re legally dead.” 

The retort that had begun forming in your head was wiped out by that bomb. You just sat there with your mouth open, blinking. 

“Might want to clear that up soon!” Clumby was already quickly making her way out of her own office. 

Your mouth started to form the word ‘what’ but you didn’t get past the ‘whuh’ noise before Filbo was turning to you, interrupting your pitiful attempt to call Clumby back for answers. 

“Well…! That wasn’t... ideal. But, you’ve had worse days, eh Buddy?” Your face started to screw up slightly in objection, but then you remembered all of Snaktooth… No, this was still worse. Filbo continued before you could say so. 

“So, I hear the elections are coming up and uh… I was thinking of running for mayor!” You shut your mouth finally, brows raising. “I could use a helping paw…! How ‘bout it?” He smiled hopefully. 

Well, you were unemployed now, so why the hell not? 

“Sounds good, Filbo.” You didn’t sound very enthusiastic, but you were still processing being fired and dead. Filbo grimaced slightly. 

“A-alright, let’s… Let’s get you up. C’mon, Buddy.” Filbo leaned down to throw your arm over his shoulder. You made a face because you would have preferred to sit for a second longer, to enjoy the illusion that you’d ever be back in this building, but he was ushering you out. 

You stood up to leave with him, shuffling your way out with a frown. Once upon a time, you had been a hot-shot up-and-coming reporter. . . Then you got a bad lead and several bad witnesses, and the next thing you knew, your career had been defined by some bozo wandering in the woods with his head stuck in a mascot suit. You wondered why Clumby had even bothered sending you to Snaktooth after the Grumpfoot scandal, rather than just firing you. The story had been good - even Clumby couldn’t deny it - so why? She didn’t even wait to fact check it.

Filbo paused outside the main door of GNN with you, patting your shoulder. You glanced over at him, trying not to look miserable. “Thanks for coming with me, Filbo. It really wasn’t necessary, we don’t usually bring witnesses with us in-person when we do these things, but I guess it’s a good thing you asked to tag along.” Well, maybe. Actually, now you were just sad and embarrassed in front of Filbo, instead of being sad and embarrassed by yourself. 

Filbo gave your shoulder another pat, like he was trying to put out a fire before it could catch. “I… Buddy, I forgot something inside, but I’ll be right back. Chin up, okay…?” He gave you a small, encouraging smile, but it was replaced with a tight frown as soon as he turned around. He hurried back into the building. 

You sighed and let your shoulders slump, padding over to one of the metal benches in front of the building. People bustled by as you sat, and you watched them glumly. You hated to have any witnesses to your misery, but you also felt incredibly lonely. You were a reporter. A writer. A journalist! It’s what you lived for, and what you loved. Without this job, what were you? Who would hire you with your credibility shot like this? What would you do…? 

You scrubbed at your eyes quickly, ashamed that this setback would bring you to tears. No one on the island had ever seen you cry, and you knew this kind of self pity would earn you a few eyerolls… Maybe. No, actually… Your friends would comfort you. You rubbed harder at your eyes, missing them all terribly in that moment, but you weren’t going to let yourself cry over it. You took a few deep breaths and got up, pacing a bit, and fished your big brick phone out of your bag. You felt a little calmer as you dialed Beffica.

“Heeeey Bestie! Long time no chat!” She picked up almost immediately, and the sound of her voice made you grin a little. You felt better already.

“Hey Beff. How’ve you been holding up?” You put her on speaker.

Beffica scoffed. “Ugh, I thought being in the city would be interesting, but like, it’s barely a step above snoozeville. The dumb rag I’m writing for keeps asking for the same old stories. I never thought I’d say it, but… All this celebrity drama? It’s basically the same.” You heard her sigh. “I dunno.” 

“Yeah… I know exactly what you mean." Things that had felt important and fulfilling before didn’t matter as much after Snaktooth. That hollow feeling of loneliness pawed at your heart again, and you cleared your throat. “So… I have some news.” 

Filbo was walking out of the building then. He smiled as he saw you and began walking over. You waved. “Can I tell Beffica?”

“OMG, tell me what?” 

Filbo nodded, looking surprised. 

You grinned. “Beff, Filbo’s running for mayor.”

“OMG, Mayor Squeeb! He knows that wearing a homemade sash doesn’t automatically make him qualified, right?” 

You grimaced as Filbo picked at his sash self consciously. “Um… Beff, you’re on speaker phone and he’s standing next to me.” 

“And?”

You took it off speaker.


	4. Shared Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they were roommates...!

The next few days were spent on those menial, domestic tasks that kept the paws and mind busy and in the moment. 

You and Filbo had been a focused storm the past week, writing and editing and debating on what could be left out and what should be left in. From the moment you had both returned to the apartment, you had been at it. Having him there to help had been revolutionary for you, and you had been delighted and motivated by him. 

Filbo was smart. Sharp was a better word, actually, as it captured the speed and uncanniness of his ability to anticipate the feelings of potential readers and adjust accordingly. He removed the parts of the story that had to stay a secret and neatly tucked away the edges, all in a way that made everything seem completely reasonable and understandable. You came back in to fill in the holes with real intrigue. He made the story amiable and unassuming, and you inserted the excitement and emotion. To be honest, it was the best story you had ever turned out, and you owed it to him. 

That being said, the two of you had written it in less than a week, and little else had gotten done in that time. The apartment was an even bigger wreck than normal. That’s why, rather than wallowing in the dread of unemployment, Filbo had directed you to clean.

Both your arms were sopping wet up to the elbows with soapy water as you scrubbed at a plate, not quite dwelling on what had happened, but still preoccupied with the fallout of being jobless. It was lucky your landlord didn’t care whether or not you were legally dead as long as the bills got paid, but your savings were starting to get very lean after bearing through all the automatic payments you had set up prior to leaving for Snaktooth. Once Filbo left to go back to his family, you’d have to find a roommate to help with rent. You were done with the paper now, so there wasn’t much of a reason for him to stick around, and you were anticipating losing his company. You sighed quietly, and then called into the other room. “Hey, Filbo?” 

“Yeah, Buddy?” He was picking up the recycling from the living room, tossing soda cans into the bin. Most of them were his. He had preferred cola to coffee when the two of you were working late into the night. 

“Where does your family live?” You called back. He hadn’t mentioned them since the beach, and if he had gotten in touch with them, you hadn’t seen it. “If I’m legally dead, you might be legally dead too. Might be better to, uh, check in on them sooner rather than later.” You called. “When were you planning on heading back to them?” 

The clatter of empty cans being tossed into the recycling bin stopped, and after a moment you turned off the sink and turned around. Filbo was fiddling with his paws in the entrance to the kitchen, looking sheepish. 

“Well… I’m glad you brought it up, because I was kind of wondering... “ He scuffed the carpet with one of his paws, eyes on his feet. “Are you looking for a roommate? I-I don’t want to intrude of course, I definitely get it if you want your space. It’s just, it’s been really nice being away from home.” Filbo rubbed his arm, frowning. “My parents and siblings kind of treated me like a helpless kid before I left for Snaktooth… I love them, but they act like I can’t do anything, a-and I know they don’t mean to, but… I mean, I’m an adult, and I’ve done a lot of growing in the past year. I don’t… Want them to ignore the person I am now, and…” 

He huffed out a nervous laugh, trying to smile. “Whoo, that was some oversharing, ah hah…! You probably didn’t, um, need my whole life story there, but, but I’m more than happy to start paying rent! If you want a roommate, that is…! I get it if you don’t, of course! No biggie! Just thought I’d ask!”

“Um, no, actually-” 

“Yeah, uh, hah sorry! Forget I said anything-” 

You put your paws up. “No, no, Filbo, I need a roommate!” The poor grump looked so flustered. You raised your eyebrows, hoping to convey your sincerity. “I mean it, that actually works great. I was going to start looking for one after you left, so this saves me the trouble.” Plus, you were already friends, so that was a bonus. 

Filbo had broken into a grin. “Oh, wow…! Thanks, Buddy! This is going to be so great!” He wrapped you up in a hug, squeezing you tight. Your heart skipped a beat. He was so fuzzy and soft - this was one of the cuddliest hugs you had ever experienced - and all you could offer in exchange was a sopping pat on the back with your wet paw. He let you go then, and you took a small step back, looking at your still-drenched arms before grabbing a cup towel to dry them. 

“...Sorry about that.” You offered him the cup towel for his back. “So, if we’re splitting the rent, we’d better go get some stuff to fix up the spare room…”

“My thoughts exactly, Buddy. I’m sorry, but the decor in there has got to change. Those taxidermy birds are really creepy.” 

“Awh… I got those when I was writing an article on a missing person’s case! You wouldn’t believe it, Filbo. See, the owner of this little motel-” 

“Tell me on the way!” He grinned, heading for the door. You grabbed your keys and wallet and scurried out after him, starting your story from the beginning. 

Several hours later, you were back at the apartment and taking a break after cleaning out the spare room. Filbo had protested, saying it didn’t need to happen right away, but you had insisted on moving that junk out. Now it was in your room, but you’d deal with it later. Filbo had been right. The stuffed birds were creepy. 

The door to the spare room was shut as Filbo decorated his new space, and you were enjoying the moment of solitude and silence. You never really slept well, but things had felt especially exhausting ever since getting back. Slowly, your eyes slid shut, the heavy weight of sleep descending on your tired mind. 

You never got to sink into it fully, because your phone began ringing. 

You jumped slightly, sitting up and running a hand down your face as you looked around for your bag. It was by the foot of the couch, right next to you. You snatched your phone out of your bag and put it on speaker, sniffing. 

“Hello?” 

“Heeeey Bestie!” 

That was odd. You had had a long conversation with Beffica three days ago, so there must be something new and pressing to discuss. You sat back on the couch. “Hey Beff. Is everything okay?” 

“Peachy! I’m calling you to let you know I did you and future mayor Filbo a favor.”

“Yeah?” You raised an eyebrow. 

“Yep! I called around. Everyone’s pretty excited about the campaign, and they want to help out. Sooo, what better way to plan and celebrate than by throwing a party?”

“Oh…! Yeah, wow! Uh, I guess we could throw one!” Excitement flickered in your heart at the idea of having everyone back together. 

Beff scoffed on the other end of the line. “No, Bestie, I’m not asking you if you want to have a party, I’m inviting you to a party! Snorpy volunteered to have it at his place, and Chandlo and I already did, like, all the planning. Like, we couldn’t have Filbo stick his paws in this one ‘cause his parties always end in disaster. His parties are TOTALLY cursed.” 

You snorted. “You’re not wrong. I ought to ask him what his birthday parties were like growing up. You might be onto something.” You said it as a joke, but you wrote the idea down on a napkin anyway. 

“You know it.” Beff agreed. “So! Party at Snorpy’s place, next Friday at 7. See you there, Bestie!” 

You were grinning. “See you Beff. Do we need to bring anything?”

“Yep! I’ll text you a list. ;0] Talk to you later!” 

“Yeah, talk to you later. Colon, o, right parenthesis.” She laughed and hung up. You put the phone down, grinning, and got up to tell Filbo. 

You hesitated at his shut door, having the presence of mind to knock. It was weird, adjusting to sharing this space you had owned before, but you were optimistic about it. You and Filbo got along well. 

The door swung open and Filbo smiled at you as if it was a surprise that you were the one knocking. “Buddy! Right on time! I just finished sprucing up the place.” He stood back to invite you in. “Come see!” 

You stepped into the room. The walls were still covered in the dark green wallpaper, but other than that, the room was transformed. It looked like an ad for a college dorm room. Filbo had put up some string lights to give the space a soft, warm light. The bed was neatly made, his stuffed frogs sitting on his new blue and green striped comforter. Little succulents sat on the dark wooden desk by the window. The beanbag chair the two of you had found in the store sat in the corner next to the little bookcase you had cleared out for him. It looked like a perfect little nook to read in. 

“Wow, it really looks cozy in here…!” You were surprised. The room had looked like an 80-year-old librarian’s storage closet before. 

Filbo rubbed the back of his head, grinning. “Thanks, Buddy…! I really like it. Looks like home now.” He glanced at you, chuckling. 

You nodded, smiling back. “So, I have some news.” 

“Well, you are a journalist!” Filbo joked, sitting on his bed. “Go ahead, Buddy.” 

“Beffica called. She told everyone about your campaign, and they want to help.” 

Filbo actually gasped in excitement. 

“Yeah! And they’re throwing a party for you next Friday!” You beamed. 

“They are?! Really? Oh my gosh!” He covered his face with his paws, looking overcome with happiness. “I haven’t even done anything yet, Buddy! Nothing is official!” 

“That’s alright! Now the apartment is clean and you have a room you can use, we can get right on it. Make sure they have a reason to celebrate, yeah?” You winked.

“Right! Of course!” Filbo’s shoulders sagged slightly in relief. He actually seemed at ease for once. 

You smiled. “In the meantime, I better make us some dinner.” You started to leave the room. 

“Er- Wait!” You paused and turned back. Filbo got up slowly, troubled... “Can I be honest with you, Buddy?” 

You nodded, looking surprised. “What is it?” 

Filbo couldn’t meet your eyes. “It’s just… Ever since I started staying with you…” He rubbed the back of his head. “Things have made more and more sense to me, and… If we’re going to be living together, I have to be honest with you.” 

Your brows furrowed slightly, concerned. You were silent. 

Filbo seemed to gather his courage, meeting your eyes. “Well, Buddy, to be frank, it kind of makes sense now how you were able to live off sauces… I’m sorry, but your cooking is terrible.” 

You frowned. “C’mon, it’s not that bad…” 

“It’s awful, Buddy.” 

“Really? But, it’s edible, right?” 

Filbo shook his head. “No, it’s really not. Let me do the cooking. I promise you won’t regret it.” 

You rubbed the back of your head and shrugged slightly. “I mean… Sure! I’ll do the dishes, then, and we’ll split the duties that way.” Surely your cooking wasn’t that bad.   
“Ah, that’s another thing…” Filbo began walking past you to the kitchen, and you followed along behind him. “I know it’s different when you’re working on an article, but we have to make sure to clean more than twice a month. You will feel a lot better in a clean space, trust me.” 

You fiddled with your tie a bit. “I clean…!” 

“I know you clean!” Filbo agreed, giving you a sympathetic nod as he got things out of the fridge. “But if we start cleaning on a schedule, we can have the space clean more often! How do you feel about chore charts?” 

Oh Grump, he was going to make you get your life together. You leaned back against the counter, rubbing your temple. “Sure, we can try one… Why not.” 

Filbo breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Buddy. I really don’t mean to come in here and, uh, make you change up your routine, but I think you’ll be a lot happier if the place is clean and… And you’re not eating things like... Half an old microwaved potato and hot sauce.” He looked concerned. 

You frowned, defensive. “It wasn’t hot sauce, it was salsa.” 

Filbo glanced at you from the corner of his eye with amused concern, then returned to what he was cooking. “Okay.”

You were a little bitter that it was smelling so good already. He was sauteing some vegetables in olive oil in a large pan. Your stomach stirred. Maybe he could teach you how to cook later…

“And… And, um, Buddy, can I ask for one more favor?” He asked, much more quietly.

“Will you still feed me if I say no?” You teased, coming closer to watch the vegetables brown and hear him better. You caught a hint of amusement in his face, and you shot him a little smile. “I’m kidding of course. What is it?” 

“Could we… Keep from talking about Snaktooth in the apartment?” His voice was low, almost a whisper. “There’s just a lot of bad memories, and I want to focus on what’s ahead of us. Not what’s behind us.” 

You nodded, patting his back gently. “That’s fine with me.”


	5. Mayor Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Drug and Alcohol mention

Snorpy passed under the metal detector set up by the door, making it his twelfth test that evening. Before he could finish walking through, the lights flashed red. The tinny sound of a recorded siren blared, which ignited a little flare of pride and satisfaction in him. Snorpy set down the small sliver of metal he had pinched between his paw pads and made a note in his journal, pleased by the sensitivity. He had only seen a few trackers before, but they were small things, small enough to hide under the fur unnoticed, and if he was going to be able to screen people, then... He jumped when the alarm suddenly shut off. 

Beffica was standing there with a flat look, one paw on her hip, the other on the off switch. “Remind me again why we need to scan everyone when they enter? Last I checked, this was a party, not some kind of top secret briefing.” 

Chandlo called from the living room. He was on the very top of a step ladder, stretching to try to secure the last of the streamers to the wall near the ceiling. “Security’s important, Beff! Snorpy’s just trying to make this a safe place for us, so we can talk about Snaktooth without worrying. Right, Snorp-Dawg?” He turned around with a big, tusky smile, giving Snorpy a wink. 

Beffica groaned. “Fiiine, I get it. Just, does this alarm have to be so loud? It’s going to drown out the music. Like, total vibe killer.” She crossed her arms and cast the metal detector a scathing glance. 

“Ah…” Snorpy glanced at the metal detector, shifting awkwardly in place. 

Triffany walked in from the kitchen, still drying her paws with a cup towel. “Wouldn’t hurt to turn it down, hun! Most of us will be arrivin’ all at once, and we can greet them at the door then, eh? No need to be able to hear it from across the house.” She smiled.

Snorpy sighed. “Yes, well… I… Suppose it wouldn’t hurt to lower the volume a bit…” He opened a small panel on the side. 

“Thank grump!” Beffica checked her watch. “Triffany, when’s Wambus getting back from the store?” 

Triffany clicked her tongue and shook her head. “I knew we shouldn’t have let him go alone. He’ll spend an hour fussin’ over prices, gettin’ lost in the aisles, grumblin’ and carryin’ on.” 

Beffica’s brow wrinkled, looking between Triffany and Chandlo. “What? The party starts in half an hour!” She ran a hand through her hair, huffing. 

“No worries! I got it!” Chandlo hopped down off the step ladder, grabbing his keys from the dish by the door. “I’ll find him and bring him back, no sweat.” Snorpy was absorbed in adjusting the metal detector, but it didn’t stop Chandlo from putting an arm around his waist on the way out. Snorpy looked up, startled, just in time to be kissed goodbye. “See you soon!” Chandlo said with a wave as he dodged around the detector, heading out of the door. Snorpy’s eyes followed him out, too speechless to stutter, mouth occupied with a large and genuine grin. Beffica and Triffany exchanged an amused look behind him. 

Preparations continued without incident until Chandlo came back, just before the party was set to start, with a disgruntled Wambus and most of the groceries and other supplies in tow. Soon after, the rest of their friends began arriving. 

“EYY, Snorpy! Never thought I’d miss that scowl, eh?” Snorpy hadn’t been scowling until he had heard that. Cromdo looked up at the detector, setting down a bag full of liquor and his old karaoke machine. “Whassis? Some kinda disco light thingamajig?” 

“No.” Snorpy adjusted his glasses. “Actually, this machine detects the presence of potential tracking or recording devices. If you have metal on your person that you are not aware of, the alarm will sound, and we will relieve you of any nefarious micro-transmitters that might be present under your fur.” 

Cromdo scratched his cheek. “Yeah, okay. You just wanna make sure no one makes off with the silverware. I can respect it.” 

“Why… No, I-” 

“Say no more.” Cromdo took off his watch and handed it to Snorpy, trotting through the metal detector. “Pretty clever! I oughta get one for the karaoke bar! You wouldn’t happen to have a spare, eh?” 

Snorpy picked up the karaoke machine with some effort, setting it on the small table past the machine. “Not presently, no.” He said flatly, taking a screwdriver to the side of the speaker.

“Hey hey HEY! Watch it!” Snorpy ignored him, too absorbed in checking the inside of the machine for any suspicious hardware. 

Wiggle and Gramble arrived together with a tray of homemade cookies. Shelda arrived soon after wearing a tasteful turtleneck, carrying a tray of vegetables and a dish of hummus made using her own recipe. She and Chandlo hugged after she passed the screening, the two wandering off to discuss the book she was writing. Floofty was next, fashionably late, appearing on the doorstep with that knowing smirk. 

“Snorpington.” 

“Floofty.” Snorpy glanced at the nondescript bag Floofty had brought with themself. “I wasn’t aware Beffica asked you to bring anything. What did you…?” 

“Drugs.” They brushed past Snorpy before he could stop them, rolling their eyes at the metal detector and taking their glasses off. They set them down, along with the bag and a pocket knife, before passing through. 

“You didn’t really-” Snorpy reached to check the contents of the bag after briefly checking their glasses, but Floofty smacked his paw away from the sack and scooped it up in one smooth motion. “Ah ah ah, dear brother. Weed can get to that later.” 

“Excuse me?!” 

Floofty took back their glasses, ignoring him, and trotted, pleased, into the living room, to find Triffany for a chat. The music was too loud to hear any of the conversation.

Snorpy watched the small crowd of mingling grumps, feeling somewhat out of place under the colored lights. The music was high energy - some pop song from one of Beffica’s mixtapes. Almost everyone had found someone to talk to, including Chandlo. Snorpy rubbed his arm and glanced at the clock anxiously. 

“Heyyy…” Beffica came to join him by the metal detector, smiling, but looking a little anxious herself. She looked at the clock too. “7:48… Getting a little late.” 

“My thoughts exactly…” Snorpy pushed his glasses up, casting Beffica a worried glance. 

Beffica surprised him again by giving his arm a small pat. “They’ll get here. If it’s not an interview or a deadline, they’re going to be late to it. Totally rude of them to make people wait, though.” 

Snorpy let out a loud sigh. “Yes! I agree! If you commit to being somewhere at a certain time, however informal it is, then you should be there at that time!” He fidgeted with his apron. “...Some people worry!” 

Beffica laughed. “Yeah, some people worry. Hey, is that a new work smock?” 

“Oh, you noticed!” 

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Snorpy jumped to open it. You and Filbo were on the step, tired and sheepish, but happy to be there.

Beff scoffed. “What took you so long? Busy doing roommate activities?” She made eye contact with Filbo, who’s smile turned into a small flustered line. 

“No, I’m sorry. We got carried away writing a thank you letter to the regional manager at Grumpmart.” You said, rubbing your forehead. “Filbo managed to get them to donate to a struggling soup kitchen downtown. It’s what we’ve been doing all week, looking for problems in the community and helping people solve them.” Not to mention sitting in on city meetings and networking with local leaders in the community. Filbo did all of the talking and you did all of the notetaking. Filbo had left nothing but good impressions so far, and his popularity was growing. You were exhausted. 

“Well, don’t just stand there, come inside!” Beff pulled you in. “Oh yeah, but you have to pass through Snorpy’s sphinx gate first.” Beff rolled her eyes and gestured for you to take off your watch. 

Filbo’s eyes widened and his shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, you set up a metal detector?” He looked at Snorpy.

“Was that a Never Ending Story reference?” You surrendered the watch along with your spare pencils, passing through after. 

“Maybe. ;0]” 

“How do you do that?” You asked, shoving your belongings back into your bag. “Colon, o, right parenthesis.” 

“No, you have to say it fast! Like this. ;0].” 

“Colon,o,rightparen-” 

“Faster.” 

“:o)” Your mouth dropped open. 

Beff laughed. “Remember, this is our secret. Only cool people get to know this trick.” She held out her pinky, and you hooked yours in hers, nodding with a serious expression.   
Filbo passed you the bags of chips and sodas you had brought, before looking up at the metal detector, his face neutral and curious. He hesitated for a moment, looking Snorpy in the eyes and scratching the back of his neck. When he stepped through, the light began flashing red instantly. You, Snorpy, and Beff looked at him with surprise as he frowned up at the machine. “Uhhh… Is that… Bad?” He scratched at the back of his neck again. 

Snorpy grabbed a pair of tweezers and a small tube from his set of tools, moving behind Filbo. “Don’t move!” 

“Huh?” Filbo tried to turn his head, but Snorpy stopped him and brushed his hand away, clicking a switch on the side of his glasses. A small light shone from it, onto the back of Filbo’s neck. 

“Gloves. Someone, pass me my gloves!” 

Floofty had materialized, passing Snorpy a pair of surgical gloves. 

“What’s going on?!” Filbo stood stock still. 

Snorpy wasted no time in pulling them on and immediately started to carefully part the fur at the base of Filbo’s neck, much to Filbo’s discomfort. “Ah-hah!” Snorpy snagged something with the tweezers, and began pulling up, slowly and steadily. The tweezers came away with something black pinched between them. 

Beffica grabbed your arm. “Oh my GRUMP, what is that.” 

“Is that-!?” You took a step forward. 

“What is it?” Filbo asked anxiously, turning his head.

“It appears to be a tick.” Snorpy said, putting it into the small tube. “Happens to the best of us. I’ll dispose of this later.” 

Filbo looked beside himself with embarrassment, and Beffica made a face. “Eww…” 

You felt a little itchy suddenly, but you gave Filbo’s arm a pat regardless. 

“I… Have NO idea how that got there… I, I-” He was without words. “I-I’ll take care of it Snorpy, I don’t want you to, to have to deal with that, so,” He held his hand out for the tube. 

Snorpy held up a paw. “It’s no trouble, and we’ve wasted enough time. Now, do you have anything metal on you? Something you forgot to put down?” 

“U-um… I have… A… A metal rod in my leg?” He rubbed his arm. “Um, from when I broke it as a kid… Would that…? Set it off?” 

Snorpy sighed. “Yes, yes it would. But, it’s no matter! Come, let us commence this joyous celebration!” He waved a relieved Filbo in and you followed, heading straight to the drink bar. Cromdo had booted up the karaoke machine, and Wiggle was practically vibrating. 

Shelda taught you and several others her ancient secret punch recipe, slurring the entire time and emptying almost an entire bottle of hard liquor into the bowl. Wambus loosened up considerably afterwards, and even took to the dance floor with Floofty. 

Filbo and Cromdo sang a duet together that was dangerously close to being good. After, Cromdo tried to charge him five dollars for it, which earned a few laughs. 

At that point, you were drunk enough to really boogie, and Snorpy was drunk enough to join you. You both danced terribly together, flailing wildly as if moving your body to the music was just a suggestion, and damn was it fun. Gramble came and joined you, and then Triff, and then Cromdo, and then almost everyone else. Shelda and Wiggle sang loudly and danced with each other as the rest of you devolved into what amounted to a bunch of uncoordinated hopping and wiggling. 

Eventually you flopped back onto the sofa when Cromdo took the mic for a slow, romantic song. You watched Chandlo take a blushing Snorpy’s hand and lead him to the center of the floor. Shelda sat next to you, and you felt briefly self conscious that you both apparently had comparable stamina. 

“I hear you’re writing a book about what happened on Snaktooth,” you panted slightly, still winded. Shelda nodded. 

“One is! Yeurrr, I mean, I am!” She sniggered, obviously still inebriated. You joined her in her chuckling. 

“I’m looking forward to reading it.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to writing it, child!” She chuckled again. 

“You know what?” You sat up a bit. “You should borrow Filbo for your editing. He’s really good. I mean it. He’s REALLY good. Did you read my article? Our article, I mean. That one. You know.” 

Shelda nodded. “Mmmm, no. It hasn’t been published yet, has it?” 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess it hasn’t.” You rubbed at your mouth. “I’ll send you a copy. Filbo’s a great editor, he knows how to take things out without making it look suspicious. He’s really good about it.” 

“Mmmm…” Shelda had her eyes closed. You watched her curiously. “This, I think, is something I would like to write alone. For now, at least…” She opened her eyes and looked at you. “I want to make one thing in my life, one thing that is all my own… A genuine expression of who I am, and the lessons I truly wish to pass on. Something I’ll be proud to be remembered by.” She smiled at you and her eyes were warm and deep, kindness and quiet understanding shining through. You understood, then, why Eggabell and Chandlo had admired her so much. 

You reached over to squeeze her paw. “I’m really, really looking forward to reading it.” You smiled back at her. 

She laughed and patted your paw. “Yes! And as I’ve said, I’m looking forward to writing it. But first…!” She grunted as she pushed herself up. “Back to the party!” She hobbled off to get more punch. You sat up, thinking you might follow suit, but Snorpy suddenly filled the vacated spot. 

He looked happy, flustered, and worn out from all the dancing with Chandlo, and you grinned. It was great to see him having so much fun. “Hello, Snorpington.” You used your best Floofty impression, but you were drunk and it was bad. 

Snorpy cast you a sidelong glance. “Don’t start.” 

You laughed. “How’ve you been? We haven’t had a chance to catch up yet.” 

He sank into the couch. “Oh, I can’t complain much. Chandlo has been wonderful as always... But, I must admit, I’ve been a bit on edge.” 

You nodded, suddenly far more sober, and straightened in your seat. “Why’s that?” 

Snorpy frowned. “Well… I haven’t seen any evidence that the Grumpinati is attempting to monitor us. Chandlo and I, I mean.” He fidgeted with the edge of his work smock, running his thumb over the fabric as he looked down at it. “I hesitate to believe that my efforts to deter them have been completely effective… Which means they’re either biding their time, or they’ve managed to find a new method I have yet to detect.” He sighed. 

Your brows were furrowed. “...Snorpy, I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you think the Grumpinati and the bugsnax are connected?” 

“Oh, undoubtedly!” He nodded. 

“How connected?” 

Snorpy shook his head. “I couldn’t say, Chum. As much as I loathe to admit it… I wasn’t able to find any definitive proof of Grumpinati activity on the island. The most compelling evidence was the behavior of the bugsnax themselves, and their powerful, addictive qualities.” 

You nodded. 

Snorpy continued. “You consume them and they… They sneak into all of your thoughts. They do everything they can to become the logical solution to any problem, even when you KNOW it makes no sense.” Snorpy shook his head. “Even when I suspected they were dangerous, I had convinced myself the best way to neutralize that threat was by eating them! All of my inventions, even ones I set out to make for unrelated purposes, I realized their utility in catching snax and modified them accordingly!” 

You rubbed his shoulder and he shook his head again. “You see… Even when I knew that these solutions were foolish, even when I understood on some level that they wanted to be eaten, that they were DESIGNED to be eaten, I couldn’t help myself from playing right into their hands. I could never fully convince myself of the danger. I always felt that, surely, one more wouldn’t hurt.” 

It was disconcerting, but it made perfect sense. The snax were like an addiction, Snorpy was right. You had only eaten one, and it came out of both ends of you immediately, but even you had been convinced that catching them and feeding them to people was the way to help them. Guilt pawed at you as you remembered. You fed those… Things to your friends to get information, to get approval. Thank god everyone had lived. 

The music suddenly quieting caught the attention of both of you. Filbo was by the karaoke machine with the mic in his hand, but he wasn’t about to sing. 

“Hey everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to thank Snorpy, Chandlo, and Beffica for setting this up… And, actually, everyone else for being here and making it happen.” He smiled, eyes shut happily as he laughed. 

“I want to thank Buddy too. I’m a little tipsy right now, which makes it easier to say this stuff, but… But, thanks for letting me stay with you, and for helping with this campaign, Buddy.” 

You waved a paw quickly. “You don’t need to thank me, you’ve been doing most of the campaign stuff. I’m just your secretary.” 

Filbo laughed. “Aw, c’mon. I couldn’t do this without you.” He smiled at you, and you smiled back, flattered and happy. 

“Eh, actually!” Cromdo spoke up. “Glad you brought this up! See, I wanna help out too.” 

Filbo looked surprised. “Oh, umm…” 

“Free of charge! Free of charge. See, I’ve turned over a new leaf.” He put an arm around Filbo’s shoulder. 

“W-wow! Really Cromdo?” 

“Absolutely! I believe in you, Filbo! Plus, it’s gonna be great for business if I have an in with the mayor!” He grinned. You looked around, finding several extremely flat expressions. 

Cromdo continued. “Once the time comes, I’ll use some of my old contacts and get some flyers and brochures printed for ya. As an ex-door-to-door salesman, it’s my SPECIALTY to go, eh… Door to door!” 

Filbo grinned. “Cromdo, that’s… That’s actually really generous!” 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t sound too surprised, kid.” 

Beffica cleared her throat. “Don’t pretend you’re the only one who wants to help, Cromdo. I’ve been doing some digging on the other candidates.” 

“Ah, well, we don’t really want to run attack ads…” Filbo started. 

Beffica rolled her eyes. “Okay, sure, but some of the stuff these guys are hiding have led to real issues in the community. I’m just saying. I have the intel on the demographics that are being neglected, ones that YOU can reach.” She winked. 

“I stigl have… Quite a following!” Shelda slurred from the kitchen bar. “Endorse you, Filbo! Hurraaaah!”

“I’ll look into some fundraisin’ for ya, hun!” 

“I’ll build you a stage if you need one, Filbro!” 

“I’ll write a SOOOONG for you~! Let my adoring fans know what a good mayor you will be, darling!” 

“I-I’ll knit you a new mayor sash for when it gets cold…!” 

“I promise to keep our acquaintanceship a secret, lest the press assume you were privy to or involved in any of my so-called crimes.” Floofty raised their glass. 

Filbo was flabbergasted. “Guys…! Thank you, thank you everyone! I, I think,” He looked at Floofty, who smirked back and then downed the rest of their drink. Filbo looked back to the rest of the party. “There’s still so much we need to do before we even get close to running! Until that time, I’ll work hard to earn all the help you guys are offering. I promise, I’ll be the kind of mayor this town deserves. That you guys deserve. I’ll work hard to deserve the trust that you’ve put in me tonight. I’ll work hard to keep you all safe, so…!” He looked a little teary eyed. “So, thank you guys…!” 

“Aww, hun…” Triff came over to give him a hug, and Gramble hurried over to join in. 

“S’okay to cry, Filbo!” Gramble patted his leg, and Filbo laughed tearfully. 

Chandlo got all three of them in a big squeeze. “Group hug!” 

The entire party obliged. Even Floofty.


	6. Troubled Thoughts

“Try it.” 

“Ehhhhh…"

“Try it, it’s good!” You held the innocuous-looking bun out to Filbo. It had been made with cricket flour, which was exactly what it sounded like: flour made from ground crickets. The cafe you were visiting specialised in them.

Filbo shrank away from the offering. “I don’t know if I want to eat that, buddy.”

You took a big bite of half the roll to prove it wasn’t scary. “Half the world eats insects, Filbo! They’re a sustainable source of protein and they taste fine. Good even!” 

He still didn’t look convinced. 

“Filbo, you ate BUGSNAX for almost an entire year!”

“That’s different!” His eyes widened.

“I know, it’s worse! You made ME eat one too!”

“I didn’t make you…” He fidgeted, glancing away.

“Yes you did! I said no twice.” You shook the bun at him.

Filbo frowned. “No, you said it would compromise your journalistic integrity!” He saw the look on your face and he crossed his arms. “Okay, fine, I was wrong to pressure you into trying a bugsnak. That wasn’t cool of me, and I’m sorry.” You nodded, starting to hold out the bun to him again, but he held up a paw. “I guess we’ve both learned that it’s wrong to pressure someone into eating something that they don’t want to eat, even if you personally find it really tasty.”

You squinted at him. His face was the picture of innocence, but you could see a cunning smugness underneath. Defeated, you sat back on the bench with a disgruntled huff and tossed the rest of the bun into the ol’ face hole, as Filbo would put it. You chewed thoughtfully. “You know, you ate a lot of ketchup back then.”

Filbo laughed a bit. “Yeah, heh… A lot easier to catch than a bugsnak. I don’t think I managed to catch a single one the entire time we were there. Heck, sometimes I couldn’t even gather sauces correctly! Who knew you weren’t supposed to eat the flowers before they bloomed, eh? Eh heh…”

You frowned, looking over at him. He was rubbing the back of his head with a little nervous smile pointed at his knees. You tilted your head. “You never caught a single bugsnak?”

He looked sheepish. “Never.”

“Huh… Where did you get that strabby then?” You asked automatically, brows furrowed.

Flibo looked up, blinking in surprise. “Huh?”

“The strabby you made me eat. How did you get it?”

Just for a fraction of a second, a look of panic flickered behind his eyes. You would have mistaken it for surprise if it weren’t for how accustomed you got to seeing it during your time on Snaktooth island. “The… Strabby?” His brows molded into a look of practiced confusion.

Your frown deepened. “That’s the bugsnak you fed me, remember? Where did you get it if you didn’t catch it?” There weren’t spares laying around at that point. Gramble wouldn’t have given anyone one of his precious pets, either.

“Er… OH!” Filbo’s look of confusion vanished. “That’s right! I thought I gave you a tacroach for some reason.” He laughed. “Wambus caught it for me when you were talking to Beffica. We wanted you to try a bugsnak as a surprise. Heh, he probably doesn’t even remember doing that, big softie… He was pretty annoyed that I asked, but I think he still felt bad about the whole ‘getting concussed by a bunger’ thing.”

Your lip tugged up and you nudged him. “Glad you’re less accident prone, now. Had me worried a few times back on Snaktooth.”

He linked his arm with yours. “Well, it’s a good thing we’ll never have to worry about Snaktooth again. Right?” He laughed. You squeezed his paw, smiling affectionately at him.   
“Right.” 

On the walk back to the apartment, you were still thinking about Snaktooth. A part of you felt guilty for it, but a lot of things still bothered you, and since you and Filbo had agreed on the ‘no Snaktooth talk in the house’ rule, you couldn’t ramble about it endlessly to work out why.

Right now, you were still hung up on Filbo’s strabby story. It made you uneasy, turning his words around in your mind over and over, but there was something off. You knew you should just trust him, or forgive him for his poor memory, but some things didn’t line up, and your instinct would not let you leave it alone. 

Filbo had said Wambus caught a strabby for you. That seemed a little out of character for Wambus, but you could see him agreeing to it out of courtesy. Strabbies were easy to catch, so it would make sense that Wambus would go for one of those. They were common, too…

…But not in Snaxburg. Even abandoned, there weren’t any bugsnax in Snaxburg. You had never seen one in Snaxburg the entire time you were there, not outside of the barn at least. That meant that Wambus had to have left Snaxburg to catch a strabby.

Now, knowing it was Wambus who caught it, you wouldn’t assume he would travel very far. He was busy reestablishing his farm, and even after things were going well, he didn’t like to leave it alone for very long. Hell, he wouldn’t even travel to see his wife, he’d been so dedicated to it. With that in mind, it was unlikely he would have hunted further than the Simmering Springs, or Garden Grove.

The thing was, strabbies didn’t occur in either location. Razzbies were the easiest to catch in the Simmering Springs, and Garden Grove only had white strabbies. You had been in Garden Grove at the time Wambus had supposedly secured the strabby. Filbo said it himself; they caught it while you had been helping Beff. If Wambus had been there - assuming he had decided, for some ridiculous reason, to go all the way to Flavor Falls for a single, simple strabby - you would have seen him traveling there from Beff’s cave.

So, you could conclude that Wambus did not go to his old farm in Garden Grove to catch you a bugsnak. He couldn’t have gone to Flavor Falls, either. That only left the Simmering Springs, but strabbies didn’t occur there. Not naturally.

Your mind flicked to Gramble with a tickle of guilt. Wambus either found one of Gramble’s stray pets in the Simmering Spring, or he had taken one from the ranch.

Your brow furrowed further as you shook your head. That didn’t make sense either. Gramble was adamant about not leaving a single bugsnak behind when he came to town. There was no way he’d leave a strabby in the springs - they were his favorite. He would have been keeping an eye on Wambus in town, too. It would have been impossible for Wambus to snatch one from the ranch, especially when there were so few, and Filbo had given you the strabby right in front of Gramble, so he would have known if it was one of his! That meant that Filbo -

“…the door. Buddy?”

“Uh?” You looked up, glancing between Filbo and the still-locked apartment door. You had taken your keys out of your pocket, but you hadn’t unlocked it. You had apparently just been standing there. 

Filbo was watching you with a frown. “You okay? You’re not allergic to cricket bread too, are you?” He gave a small laugh, but his concern was still evident.

“Uhh… No. Sorry.” You unlocked the door for him and stepped out of the way to let Filbo in. He hesitated, still watching your face. You tried to give him a small smile. “I was just lost in thought.”

Filbo’s frown didn’t go away. “What were you thinking so hard about, buddy…?”

You were quiet.

Filbo sighed and hugged you gently. It was such a nice thing, to get a hug simply because someone was worried about you and wanted to comfort you. You hugged him back automatically, feeling your shoulders relax. His arms tightened around you soothingly. 

“It’s over, you know…?” He murmured quietly into your fur. “You don’t need to worry. You can forget all about Snaktooth, buddy… You’re safe now. We all are. You don’t need to worry about it ever again. Okay…?” He looked up at you, and his eyes were so filled with a genuine, desperate affection. It made your heart leap into your throat. 

You gathered him up in your arms and held him tightly, rubbing his back. Your hand caught on the mayor sash he still hadn’t taken off. “I’m really glad you’re here with me, Filbo.” Your voice was a little quiet. He didn’t say anything back, but he held you just a little tighter.


	7. Double Date

Snorpy hadn’t realized orchids could grow outside in this region. He admittedly didn’t know much about plants, as they weren’t one of his interests, but he had always liked orchids. He had heard they were high-maintenance and required a lot of care and attention, as they tended to be more sensitive to environmental changes than other plants. Beautiful, but hard to keep, only really thriving indoors. Apparently that wasn’t true for all orchids. 

The calanthe orchids were blooming; they were growing far from the other flowers, almost hidden in the garden. There were several of them there, their succulent green stems bent with the subtle weight of their adornments. Snorpy counted the blooms in his head, thoughtful. 

Plants, and nature in general, seemed chaotic to Snorpy. If he looked up, he knew he’d see the sinuous, winding tangles of the tree branches above, a jumble of curves and sharp angles, rough wood and small, tender leaves - contrasting and confusing. The orchid, on the other hand, was a crown of fine symmetry. He bent a bit lower to examine the structure of the flowers themselves more closely. They hung on their stems elegantly, flared lateral petals giving way to the more delicate structure within. To him, it almost looked like two flowers joined together - a much smaller one, nestled under the bright, friendly petals of another. 

Snorpy scoffed quietly to himself and straightened again, glancing about quickly in a way that was too routine, now, to appear nervous. Chandlo smiled at him from further down the path. He was standing in front of some beautiful blooming bush, but he had been looking at Snorpy the whole time. Snorpy blushed. 

“Orchids? Nice, bro.” Chandlo came over to look, his solid side bumping against Snorpy. Snorpy’s paw went to Chandlo’s reflexively, and as he squeezed it, he became aware of the tension he was holding in his body. Chandlo squeezed back, and looked up at him with a warm smile. Snorpy returned it.

“Yes, well… They’re not difficult to appreciate.” Snorpy shifted in place, leaning his side against Chandlo’s. He scanned the gardens again. Snorpy had specifically chosen the botanical gardens early on a weekday, partially because he knew the grounds would be almost deserted, and partially because Chandlo loved to take strolls in nature. It was a good location for a double date, regardless.

Chandlo heard the sound of paws padding down the path, and his relaxed grin grew wider as he turned his head to look. Snorpy followed suit, spotting Filbo waving from much further down the path.

“Filbo! Good to see you, chum.” Snorpy said with a smile as Filbo slowed to a stop in front of them, a bit winded. 

“Gotta work on that cardio, bro!” Chandlo held out his paw for a fist bump, which Filbo happily returned.

“I think it’s just running…!” Filbo panted. “I mean, I can dance for hours!”

“Yeah, he can really cut a rug.” You had finally caught up. “Are you up for a ‘hugging experience’, Snorpy?” You grinned crookedly, and Snorpy half rolled his eyes but stepped towards you with his arms out all the same. You used to refrain from touching people often, but Snaktooth gave you an appetite for hugs. It was Filbo’s fault. 

Snorpy patted your back and released you. He was getting better at hugs too, you noted, probably thanks to Chandlo. You turned to greet him next, and he wrapped you up in a tight, strong hug of his own. 

Snorpy turned to Filbo, then. "You next! Yes, you aren't exempt from receiving a friendly embrace. Come here you… Scamp." He leaned over to hug Filbo. 

"Oh! Well, okay! Don't mind if I do!" Filbo hugged him back, smiling warmly. You saw Snorpy discreetly feeling the back of Filbo's neck, squinting as he checked Filbo’s fur. 

Apparently finding nothing, Snorpy pulled back. He folded his arms behind his back and cleared his throat. "Very good! Now… One last thing. Seeing as we are in the serene beauty of the outdoors, it occured to me that it would be quite a shame to disturb this peaceful aural experience with any unexpected phone calls! With that in mind, please power off your mobile cellular device." He began pulling a roll of painter's tape out of his bag. "Here, use this to cover the receiver as well." You nodded, taking a strip and putting it over the receiver. 

Filbo watched, eyebrows raising slightly. "Um, Snorpy, is this really necessary?" 

"Sure! Gotta protect the aural experience! Right, dawg?" Chandlo threw an arm around Snorpy's shoulder and gave him a conspiratorial wink. Snorpy grinned widely, very plainly touched and excited to have Chandlo in on things. You smiled too, happy to see Chandlo support Snorpy. You knew how much it meant to him to be listened to and believed. 

"Right! Well then, let us proceed. Chandlo, there were some… er, Maple trees you had wanted to behold?"

"Yeah, bro! Those leaves are unbelievable. Those vivid oranges and yellows, dawg… I could get lost staring at them." He looked at Snorpy, eyes soft. "C'mon, let's get our behold on!" He took Snorpy's paw and led the way. 

You looked to Filbo, who was smiling as he watched. He seemed happy, but… Somewhat tense. You reached out and brushed his paw, taking it gently in your own. His face lit up with surprise, turning to you. 

You gave him an apologetic smile as you let go, not sure what you had been thinking. "Um. Sorry. Are you alright?" 

He gave you a small smile. "Yeah, I'm okay…" He said, looking down. His paw found yours and squeezed. This time, you didn't let go. "I guess we should… Try to catch up to them, huh?" He grinned. 

"Sounds good, Filbo." 

The get-together ended up being the pleasant break that you really needed. It hadn’t been that long since you had last seen Snorpy and Chandlo, but you had so much to catch up on. The conversation came easily as you strolled under the bright, leafy cover of the garden’s trees, and you realized how much you had missed this.

Back on Snaktooth, you and Snorpy had become close. When you had first met, he had given you missions to complete to earn his trust, but you had only realized later that you trusting him first had really been what counted. You had listened to his theories on the Grumpinati without being dismissive or condescending, and there was genuinely enough hard evidence to warrant serious consideration; not only that, but Snorpy was helpful, and he could match your obsessive energy when you really dug into a problem. There had been multiple times where you had run out, in the dead of night, just to burst into his hut with your arms full of paper and a wild look in your eyes, spouting theories. He had even let you borrow some string for your own wall-mounted idea map. 

You two enjoyed poring over theories together and hashing things out even now. Chandlo and Filbo were looking for rocks to put on the corners of your picnic blanket as you and Snorpy unpacked the basket, volleying ideas back and forth. 

“It’s got to be an alien.” You set down the plates. 

Snorpy’s face scrunched. “Possible… Though, don’t you think it’s more likely the island was grump-made? Surely if it were an extraterrestrial entity, someone would have settled it more permanently by now. If it’s a secret testing site for a shadowy organization, then the ship disappearances seem more plausible. After all, if it were merely a biological entity, or a collective of such, one would assume more travellers would have escaped to tell the tale." 

You put your paw to your mouth, thinking. "...That's a good point. I got knocked out of my ship by a mothza, but nothing was damaged beyond repair. You fixed it, fueled it, and had time to make a new weapon in a day." 

"That I did!" Snorpy beamed, proud.

You nodded. "To be fair though, you're basically a super genius blacksmith who's married to a master carpenter," Snorpy looked flattered. "...But still. Any grump sailing to a dangerous island would know their ships well enough to be able to fix them… I'd assume. There are plenty of resources on the island, too. So you're right, there must be something else at play, keeping the nature of Snaktooth under wraps… Hm…" You got out your journal and flipped it open, making a note to go investigate common safety procedures and resources people would bring on ships historically. Triffany might be some help, and it would be a fun excuse to go visit her and Wambus. You smiled to yourself at the thought. 

"Perhaps it's a bit of both, Chum." Snorpy set out the last of the sandwiches and leaned back. "Extraterrestrial entities that operate like a hivemind… A culinary, psychic tumor lodged in an island, being studied, harnessed and protected by the Grumpinati." Despite the subject matter, his voice had lost its bite. He looked out over the field you had set up in.   
"I was going to ask Triff about the likelihood of ancient grumps repairing their vessels to escape… I'll see if she recalls seeing any evidence of modern grumps on the island. We'll get to the bottom of things…" Eventually, you thought. 

It was getting late in the afternoon, and the sunlight was a warm, glowing gold. It bathed and gilded everything around you; the flowers, the field, the canopy of the stand of trees, and the river they stood by, warm and beautiful. It was like a picture in a storybook. 

The wind blew, picking up the edge of your picnic blanket and causing the soft grass to sway. As the blades rippled under the light, scattering it into flecks of gold and translucent green, you spotted Filbo and Chandlo trekking through it back towards the two of you. 

Chandlo was saying something, his posture relaxed as he gestured with a paw at the air. Filbo was grinning a big, happy grin, squinting against the sunlight that lit up their fur like they were dandelions.

You had never felt happier. Inside, there was a soul-deep satisfaction and sense of safety that swept away any memory or possibility of fear or danger, the same way the warm afternoon sun softened the shadows. Filbo sat next to you, telling you about the creek he and Chandlo had gathered the rocks from. You took one to weigh down a corner of the blanket, and your paws brushed accidentally. The two of you shared a smile.

Chandlo chuckled, and you noticed the couple was watching you. Snorpy had a big, smug smile on his face. Chandlo was grinning. "The double date was a good idea, huh?" Chandlo said.

"Heh, yeah!" Filbo laughed. His grin dropped as he realized exactly what Chandlo said. "Wait, what?" 

"He said," Snorpy adjusted his glasses, "The double date was a good idea, eh, chum?" 

You could feel your face heating up. "Um, guys, we're just roommates," You started to say, but Snorpy was giving you such a knowing look you had to snap your mouth shut. 

"Bro, don't try to hide it!" Chandlo laughed, putting an arm around Snorpy's waist. "You feel what you feel, dawg! Are you just roommates?" The two of them grinned. 

You looked at Filbo, flabbergasted. His mouth was open slightly, at a loss for words. 

"Ah…" Filbo's shoulders hunched slightly, casting you a shy glance. "...Are we…? Just roommates?" 

You blinked, feeling your heart stuttering to life in your chest. This wasn’t a question you had even considered up until this point, and you always had questions. Filbo was Filbo to you. Filbo was a friend, a person you gladly shared your space with, a… A companion. “...Are we just roommates? I don’t…” You felt nauseous, starting to realize. You hugged Filbo and got hugged by Filbo all the time. You thought about him whenever you were apart. The two of you cuddled when you watched movies. Your paw went to your mouth in shock. “Are we... dating?” 

"I- Buddy, I don’t know, that’s the problem!" Filbo covered his face with his paws, blushing furiously. "Oh my grump…" 

"I-" You looked around helplessly. Snorpy looked so smug. "Um, do you want to…? To date? To date me and, and me be, uh, to date, for us to…” Oh god you looked like an idiot.

"I… Well, I'm happy being roommates if that's what you-"

You grabbed his paws, heart in your throat. "I like spending time with you!!" You blurted out. Filbo looked terribly embarrassed, and you let go of his paws like they were made of hot iron. "Sorry- That is-" You felt like you were going to pass out. "I like you a lot, Filbo!" 

FIlbo also looked like he wanted to pass out. “Do… Do you like me as a friend?"

"I like you a lot!” You said it like you were trying to apologize. “I-in a romantic sense I mean!” Oh grump, what if he didn’t feel the same way? Everything would be awkward now! You were an awkward person! “But, hey, I like being friends too!” You added, desperately. “Nothing has to change because I just like your company! It's okay if you don't feel the same way-" 

Filbo kissed you. You felt that it must have been sweet and romantic, but in that moment you swore you must have blacked out. You blinked and it was over, and you were sitting there stupidly with your fur raised, staring at nothing while everyone else stared at you. 

Wordlessly, you reached for the wine. 

"You can never tease me again!" Snorpy laughed. 

"I knoooow!" You wailed.


	8. Poker Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content Warnings: Alcohol mention, and also Buddy implies that Floofty is sexy

The only night you, Snorpy, and Triff were free all at once was poker night. Every other Thursday, some of the gang would meet up at Triffany and Wambus' farm to play cards and lose money. You didn't own a car and were busy most Thursdays, so it was fairly rare that you went over, though you didn't mind. You loved Beffica, but routinely playing poker with her sounded like a good way to go broke. 

Somehow, Cromdo, Shelda, and Wambus managed to hang onto enough of their income to keep playing. Wiggle, on the other hand… 

"NooOOOOooo…" She threw her head back, a paw going to her forehead. "I don't understand! How do I keep losing?" 

"Well, that's easy! You sing every time you get a good hand!" Cromdo snickered, "We always know when you're bluffing!" Cromdo usually wasn't much better, sliding into his cheesy salesman voice every time he was trying to bluff. This time though, he had gotten by with a full house - three fours and two tens - entitling him to the pot. He was reaching out for the pile of poker chips on the table, eyes practically projecting cartoon dollar signs, when a quiet voice spoke up from the other end of the table.   
"Hold yer horses, now, Cromdo." Gramble smiled a quiet, cunning smile. 

All the players froze. You swore you could feel the temperature drop. It was like a psychic chill passed over them, seeping into their souls at the sound of that gentle little voice.   
Pink paws passed over the table, sliding his cards out into a perfect fan on the surface. A full house. Three jacks and two kings. 

"YOU'RE GRUMPIN' KIDDIN' ME!" Cromdo leapt up from the table, his paws over his eyes, as Wiggle let out a delighted cheer. She threw her paws around a beaming Gramble while the rest of the table sat back and grumbled. 

"Damn…" Wambus crossed his arms.

"How are you so good at this?!" Beffica put a paw to her forehead, sounding exasperated. 

Shelda looked flat, saying nothing but dropping her hand on the table and reaching for the bowl of pretzels instead. 

"This game's real fun! I didn't think I'd be any good at it!" Gramble looked giddy, seeming not to notice as Wiggle spooned the poker chips over to him with her paws.

"I didn't think so either, that's why I invited your fuzzy pink butt!" Cromdo threw his hands up. 

"You shouldn't have doubted my man! He's a naturaaaal~! Ooooh, lady luck, put your golden paaaaws on his shoulders!" She put her arms around Gramble. "Bestow your luuuck upon my maaaan~!" Gramble grinned, absolutely tickled pink. "I SAID BESTOW YOUR LUCK, OH YEAAAuuooooh, WOOAAAHHH YEEAAAAAH!" 

"I can't take any more of this." Shelda got up. She made a move to go to the living room but paused, catching sight of you. 

You and Snorpy had gotten there around half an hour ago. It was a rule that every poker night attendee must bring a snack, so you had brought chips and Snorpy had brought a shopping bag with the raw components for guacamole. Triff had a great guacamole recipe herself, so she had taken him away to the kitchen to coach him. 

You didn't feel like losing money, so you had pulled up a chair to watch the game quietly, sketching your friends in your journal as they played. That's what had caught Shelda's attention. 

"Taking notes?" 

You started closing the journal. "Um. No."

"They're probably doodling." Beffica said. "Open it up, Bestie! Let's see if you got my good side." 

Reluctantly, you flipped open the journal to show them. 

Inside your notebook was a rendition of your friends gathered around the poker table, in the same positions as dogs in the iconic "Dogs Playing Poker" painting by Cass Marsillius Coolgrump. You were quiet at Shelda and Beff stared blankly at the sketch. 

"...Huh." 

Just then, Snorpy and Triff came in with a big bowl, which caught everyone's attention. 

"That your guac, Triffy?" Wambus sat up a bit straighter, smiling. 

"You betcha! Snorpy here did a great job puttin' it together." She patted his shoulders.

Snorpy put the bowl down on the table to push his glasses up, flustered. "Yes, the process has been thoroughly explained." That's probably why it took half an hour.

Most of the party guests went to try out the fruits of Snorpy and Triff's labors. While everyone was looking away, Wambus caught Triffany's paw gently, holding it and looking up at her with all the affection in the world written on his face. You couldn't hear, as you were too far away and he said it too quietly, but you saw his mouth form those unmistakable three words: 'I love you.' You looked away as she held a paw to his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. 

The two of them were in love. That steady, solid love that lasted a lifetime, built on friendship, built on an understanding of and acceptance of each other as they were, and as they could be. Warm like a hearth fire, burning steadily. They had had their rough patch on the island, flexing their individuality and hurting each other on their rough edges, but even when they had stubbornly stood their separate grounds, that basal pull never went away. When everything was said and done, they just wanted to live their lives together. 

You felt like a sap, looking down at your journal. In your heart, you could feel the same pull. A big, empty space that yearned with the strength and significance of a planet's gravity, drawing you somewhere, trying to draw something in too. You wondered what Filbo was doing… You wondered if he felt this way. Despite the fact that you had begun dating, you didn't dare to hope for that yet. Instead, you just hoped you'd have plenty of time by his side to find out. 

Triffany sat next to you, and you looked up, giving her a small smile. 

"You ready to talk archeology, hun?" She had an excited glimmer in her eyes. 

You flipped open your journal, a fire burning in your own as all other thoughts got pushed aside. It was time to get some answers. "Absolutely. Snorpy, did you want to come?"

Snorpy looked over, starting to stand, but Cromdo put a paw on his shoulder. "Hang on there, pal! Remember Snaktooth?" 

Snorpy faltered, brows furrowing. "How could I ever forget?" 

"Right, right," Cromdo grinned. "Remember when the volcano started erupting and that cloud of lollives started flyin' out from the woods like a bunch of friggin' bats and one almost carried Gramble away?"

Snorpy didn't say anything, face in a suspicious Snorpy style scrunch. 

"You remember after that, when you said the Grumperroni or whatever was gonna win and we might not make it, and then-"

Snorpy rolled his eyes. "And then you shouted 'I bet you five dollars we live,' yes, I recall." He started to pull out his wallet.

Cromdo surprised everyone by putting a paw on Snorpy to stop him. "Don't worry about it, pal." Cromdo grinned a big, suspicious grin. "Join our game and we'll call it even, eh? Smart guy like you, you'll probably be real good at poker." He looked over at Beff and winked. 

Snorpy looked unimpressed. "I see what you're doing. You think my poker skills will be subpar!" Cromdo faltered, but looked shocked as Snorpy took a seat at the table anyway. "I'll have you know, I'm quite good at cards! Deal me in." 

Snorpy looked determined, but you knew that wouldn't save him. You wanted to warn him, but that wouldn't save him either. Snorpy had no idea how obvious he was. You caught Beff's eye and gave her a 'please don't let them eat him alive' look, and she gave you a wink in return. It either meant 'I've got your back,' or 'no promises.' You sighed. That was the best you could do. You and Triff went to the living room, leaving Snorpy at the mercy of the poker table.

As you spoke to Triffany, you were surprised to find out that travelling by ship was a lot more dangerous than you had thought. 

Modern ships were safer because of their navigation and communication instruments, and that was mostly because those instruments helped them to avoid storms. Ships that were damaged were typically broken beyond repair, dashed against sharp rocks or reefs where the water was rough and too deep. It typically wouldn't be possible to salvage a ship that was truly wrecked. Triffany explained that Grumpbeard's ship was probably just anchored out in the shallows, where it had rotted away over time. 

"That's strange…" You made a note in your journal. "Anyone who was shipwrecked on the island would have been stuck there, but Grumpbeard wasn't, and there were parts from at least one other ship out in the boiling bay. That ship probably hadn't been properly shipwrecked either, since it was near a shallow area away from any rocks. It had just run aground, right?" 

Triff nodded. "Most likely!" 

"Then you'd expect that more people would have been able to get off Snaktooth…" You said. "Especially since it's not particularly difficult to get there." 

Triffany tapped her chin in thought. "I suppose… Though, addiction is a powerful thing. Not to mention, your own ship was broken by a bugsnak, wasn't it?" 

"That's true." You nodded. "I… Guess that means the bugsnax really are trying to keep people there." It sounded obvious when you said it, but the idea still made you feel cold. 

Acknowledging that those things had enough intelligence and capacity for organization to trap grumps on the island… It was unsettling. What's worse, it gave you more questions about the nature of the island itself. What kind of organism was it? Did it think? Did it feel? What were bugsnax? Were they like the glowing lures that dangled above an angler fish's wicked mouth, or were they more like individual ants in a colony? You scribbled these questions furiously on a clean page.

"One more thing, and then we'll wrap up," You reassured Triffany. "Did you ever find any evidence of modern grumps on the island?" 

Triffany smiled. "Oh, you betcha!"

"Really? Like what?"

Triffany laughed. "Well, we found some together, remember? There was a tent up on the mountains with some gear inside. Other than that, though, not much, aside from the things Liz was always leavin' around the island. Gave me a few false leads when I was lookin' for Gramma." 

You weren't sure if you were disappointed or not. Really, it just made you want to go back to the island and look for yourself. Maybe after Filbo was elected… "Say, how did you get hold of Bronica's journal?" You asked. "Bronica supposedly never made it off the island, but if you found the journal on Snaktooth, then…"

"Then I probably would have found anything that remained of her in that area too." Triffany nodded. "I didn't find the journal myself. When Lizbert contacted me about Snaktooth, she sent Gramma's journal over." Triffany smiled a bit, more sheepish than regretful. "It only occured to me to ask Lizbert where she found it after she had already disappeared. I was just so caught up with all the history there… Hindsight sure is 20/20, eh?" She laughed. 

You tapped your pencil on the page of your journal. "...Do you ever think about returning to Snaktooth for answers?"

"Absolutely not." She said firmly. "I've made peace with my history. Snaktooth is a place best forgotten." 

"But it's still dangerous, isn't it?" You pressed. "What if-" 

"Now, I know you aren't tryin' to convince me to leave where Wamby wouldn't follow and put myself in grave danger so you can get some answers." She gave you a firm look, and you had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I… You're right." You looked down at your journal, feeling a lump of shame form in your chest. "I'm sorry, Triffany." 

She leaned over and gave your arm a pat. "Mhm. And I know you aren't going to put yourself in danger when you've got people who care about you more than they care about the stories you write?" She smiled at you kindly. 

You shrank somewhat, flattered and feeling touched at that assertion. You were ashamed that the care your friends had for you wasn't quite enough to dissuade you from your desire to go back. "...I'm sorry." 

She watched you for a moment and you glanced up at her. 

"You know…" She started laughing a bit. "You're an awful lot like Lizbert." 

You were surprised by that, but before you could ask another question, Gramble and Wiggle came in. 

"Oh, sorry!" Gramble looked flustered. "Didn't realize you were in the middle of an interview!" He looked down at your microrecorder, resting in your journal, its tapes still spinning  
You turned it off. "We actually just wrapped up." You smiled. 

"Whew! Good timin', huh? Mind if we sit with y'all for a spell?" Gramble smiled, paws gathered to his chest. 

Nowadays, Gramble looked a lot better. The strained, worried look had been eased out of his face, and in general he was far less gaunt. His fur had disguised it somewhat before, but back on the island he looked visibly washed out and unhealthy, too skinny and tense, the dark shadows under his eyes giving him a nervous, haunted look. The Gramble before you now looked much, much different. He was gumball pink, and his fur looked puffy, soft and healthy. He was round the way a healthy grump should be, and his eyes looked bright and clear. It was a relief to see him doing well. 

He had taken a seat on one of the spare chairs in the living room, and Wiggle had leaned over the back of it to give him a hug. "You should have seen him out there. My Gramble is a regular card shark!" 

Gramble looked sheepish. "Aw, shucks, I don't know about that…! To be honest, I ain't even too good at poker. I just got lucky with my cards, and uh, you'll excuse me for sayin' so, but Snorpy, Cromdo, and…" He looked at Wiggle, who was listening expectantly, and lowered his voice. "Uh, Snorpy and Cromdo are just really bad." 

That got some chuckles, and a long laugh from Wiggle. "Oh yes they are, darling! And I'm going to take them for all they’re worth!" 

Triffany looked surprised. "Ya mean you're goin' back out there?" 

"I sure am, darling! I have the chips! I have the talent! And now…!" She leaned down to cuddle Gramble, bumping foreheads with him and nuzzling. She straightened, throwing her arms out. "I have the LUCK!" 

You exchanged a glance with Triff. 

"I'm gonna double your winnings! Just wait! Wiggle is gonna STEEEEAAAAAL THE SHOOOOOoooOoow~! Wooooaaaah yeah!" She wiggled excitedly. 

Gramble reached up to pat her arm. "Okay honey! Good luck!" 

Wiggle lost everything in a single game. 

It was dark by the time you got home.

Because of the margaritas Wambus made, you, and almost everyone else, were being driven home drunk or tipsy. Gramble had driven Wiggle there in her car, but almost everyone else had gotten a ride there from Beffica. 

"S'pretty kind of you to chauffeur, Beff." You mentioned. She let you ride shotgun, since you were besties. 

"What can I say, I have a heart of gold." She smiled casually as she drove. "Plus, if you can get a bunch of drunk people talking on the ride home, you can get some pretty choice dirt." She glanced over at you and winked. 

"Ooohhhh…" You winked back at her. "That's smart. Beff, you're so smart." 

She laughed. "I know. The trick is making them talk about what you want to know! Unrelated, but how are things with Filbo?" 

"Oh, Filbo's great, we…" You stopped. You turned to Beff with a sly grin. "You almost got me." 

She laughed, pulling up to your apartment. "I'll get you next time. Pinkie promise we'll hang soon?" She held out her pinkie paw pad. 

You hooked yours with hers without hesitation. "Pinkie promise." You glanced in the back where Snorpy and Shelda were snoozing. "Thanks for taking them home, Beff." 

"Eh, don't mention it." She smiled. That sly, smug quality wasn't in it this time. It was just Beff. 

You smiled back. "You're the best bestie of all." 

She laughed. "I know! Now go inside, geez." She waved you off, shooing you to your apartment step. You held up a paw as she drove off, waving goodbye. 

Careful to be quiet, you unlocked the door and pushed it open, peeking in. To your surprise, there was a light on in the living room. Filbo was sprawled on the couch with a book resting on his chest, fast asleep. 

You closed the door softly and crept in, grabbing the blanket draped on the armchair. As you laid it over him, he stirred. 

His brows furrowed as he blinked slowly, just starting to wake - then suddenly he jumped, scrambling to sit up. 

"O-Oh!" He put a paw to his chest. "Buddy, you startled me!" 

His reaction had surprised you. "I'm sorry, Filbo, I was trying not to wake you. Are you okay?" You reached out to gently rub his arm. 

He laughed, covering your paw with his. "I'm okay! Sorry, I… I guess I was dreaming." He was quiet, looking at you. "Heh… For a second, I thought you were… Someone else." 

"...Liz?" You guessed. 

Filbo laughed. "No, Floofty." 

"Ah, so you were either having a nightmare or a sexy dream." 

"Buddy!" Filbo laughed, pushing your arm. "What?!" 

You were chuckling. "Sorry. I might have had some drinks." 

"Well, now I regret not coming!" Filbo sat up a bit more, putting an arm around your shoulder. You leaned into him, shutting your eyes happily. 

"I like you a lot, Filbo." You murmured. 

"I like you a lot too, Buddy..." He pressed a kiss to the side of your head. You were fast asleep soon after.


	9. Night Terror

You woke up in the dead of night, alone on the couch. The silence pressed into your ears as you became aware of it, as you slowly drifted awake. 

Drowsily, you took stock of the situation. You were curled up uncomfortably on the couch, cold but for the places where your body heat had seeped into the fabric of the cushions. The thin blanket around you did nothing but constrict your limbs, and Filbo wasn't next to you like he had been when you had initially fallen asleep. He must have gone to his own room sometime after you had passed out on him. You understood why, the couch wasn't that big, but you still wished he hadn't. 

You sat up, feeling a restless, anxious energy starting to paw at the back of your mind. You wanted nothing more but to be asleep again, comfortable and safe, but your paws had barely made contact with the carpet when a horrible blaring noise broke the silence of the night. 

Startled, you looked around wildly for the source, getting up and fumbling for it, when you realized the noise was your big cordless phone. You had no idea who was calling, but you answered it automatically just to make the sound stop. 

"Thank heavens you answered! Is this line secure?" Snorpy spoke urgently on the other end. 

Your whole body was tense, blinking the last vestiges of sleep from your eyes. "What? No, I…" You weren't sure how to make a phone or phone line secure. You’d gotten this phone from your job at GNN and had never returned it. They never mentioned anything about security. Your addled brain scrambled to supply an answer. "I- I don't know. Snorpy, what's going on?" You lowered your voice.

"The flea! Do you remember the flea?" 

"What…?" You were so confused. Were you still dreaming? 

"The- Ah, no, the tick. Do you remember…?" 

The tick. It was like a match being lit. "Yeah, the one on F-" 

"SHH! Yes, that one! Listen to me." You listened intently. "I had forgotten about it after the party. You see, I had never gotten around to disposing of it, but when I went to correct that oversight today, the vial I had put it in was nowhere to be found." 

You frowned. You knew he was going somewhere with this, so you stayed quiet and let him continue. Outside the window, you heard something moving. Probably the wind. 

"I know for a fact I had placed it in a secure location, as to prevent it from escaping. When I found that the vial was no longer there, I thought perhaps that our… Red nosed mutual friend had gotten rid of it himself, since he seemed keen to do so when the pest was discovered." 

Filbo had been extremely embarrassed when Snorpy had found the tick. You wouldn't think he would go so far as to sneak away from the party, track down the vial, and kill the parasite himself, though. "Where are you going with this?" 

"I thought he might have taken it with him when he was leaving, so I thought back to when everyone was departing, when you and F… When you and our mutual friend were leaving the house... I remember clearly that there was nothing in his paws, and that the metal detector did not go off!” 

Your tired brain lurched, trying to follow the urgency in his voice, but the dots hadn’t quite connected for you. You could feel yourself approaching it, as if you were descending in an elevator but you didn’t know where it was going. “But… If he had nothing, then the metal detector wouldn’t…” 

“He told us he had a metal rod implanted in his leg! And yet, the metal detector did not go off!” Snorpy sounded breathless. “The machine was on, Cromdo had forgotten to take his watch off just a minute before! Don’t you see!?” 

It snapped into place, at once nightmarish and too real.

Snorpy continued, his voice rising on the other end of the line. “You must take the proper precautions! Do you understand? You must leave immediately!” 

“I… Yeah. Yes.” You had to get some water. “Thank you. I’ll… I’ll get in touch when I have an update.” You hung up, hoping Snorpy didn't have any more to say. 

Maybe Filbo had made a mistake. Maybe he didn't have a metal rod in his leg, he just thought he did. Maybe… No, but then the metal detector wouldn't have gone off when he had passed through the first time. Either the tick was made of metal, or Filbo had some other piece of metal on him he had forgotten about, one that he had left at the party. Maybe that's all it was. A misunderstanding over a spare pen. 

You gritted your teeth, grabbing a cup from the cabinet where Filbo had neatly put them away the other night. You were making excuses for him. Never, ever had you done that before, not for anyone but Filbo. You had been dodging your instincts from day one, you realized. 

Beffica's words floated back to you: the more innocent they look, the bigger the secret. She hadn't liked Filbo at all when you had gotten to Snaktooth, but she had never given you a real reason why. Just "his vibe", she’d said. She thought he was fake. "He doesn't even like bugsnax, he just eats them because everyone else does." The memory of her words made you feel cold to the core. You leaned against the counter, forcing yourself to focus against the approaching panic inside you. What other things had you ignored or dismissed? What other evidence was out there? 

You thought back to when you had first met Filbo… Even then, some things had been strange. You knew he wasn't actually starving to death when you had found him a few yards away from where you had passed out; he had probably just been tired and very hungry. His eyes had been open when you found him too, and he had clearly seen you approaching him. He mistook you for Liz, but… 

...But you remembered him telling Eggabell that he had eaten some purple flowers out of desperation that day, and as a result he had gone blind temporarily. Gone blind, and fallen into a hole. He was laying next to some immature purple sauce flowers when you had found him, but he could clearly see you well enough to tell that you weren't Liz, and he was very obviously not stuck in a hole. He must have been embellishing his story for Eggabell. Why? To make himself seem more helpless? To convince her to come back to town? You couldn’t answer.

What else had he done that was odd? You went through your time with him in your mind... When you were back in town with Filbo, the first people he had wanted back in Snaxburg had been Beffica, Wambus, and Gramble of all people.

If you were trying to pull a community back together, why in the world would you start with two people who hated each other more than anyone else, and a person known to revel in drama who also happens to hate your guts? 

Why would you try to throw a party with those people? You suddenly recalled that Filbo had deliberately prompted Wambus and Gramble to speak to each other. "You two must have a lot to talk about", he’d said. You hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but Filbo had been there for the big fight. He should have known better. That seemed like blatant baiting to you now. 

At every party he put together, something always happened that drove the Snaxburg residents apart. When they were driven apart, when they were stressed, the first thing they did was turn to bugsnax. That's what everyone asked for, mostly. Everyone but Filbo. After he showed you how to catch them, he never asked for another bugsnak again. Instead, he asked you to help people, asked to move in with you...

You rubbed a paw over your face, taking a shaky drink of water. On the beach, he had asked to stay with you, saying he couldn't return to his family snakified. He knew everyone had to keep Bugsnax a secret, he was thinking ahead before anyone had even finished processing what had happened… And… And he had known that you lived alone. What's more, he specifically offered to help you choose what to leave out of your story. He was already thinking two steps ahead to cover things up. Filbo was already two steps ahead, this whole time-

“Buddy…?”

You almost dropped the glass as you turned around. You could barely make out Filbo's shape in the dark, standing just outside the doorway to the kitchen. You froze. How long had he been watching you?

You set the glass down on the counter to hide the tremble in your wrist, trying to look and sound calm. “Filbo.” Your voice was a little hoarse. There was a silent, sucking fear in your mind and chest. A danger at the edge of your peripheral vision. 

“Are you okay?” Filbo suddenly took a step closer, and you couldn't help but jump slightly, back pressed into the counter. It was so dark in the kitchen that you couldn’t see his face. The moonlight from the window only caught the corner of his foot.

“I… I had a nightmare…” Your voice was low and quiet, soft against your rising fear. You couldn’t make out his features. You were afraid to look into the darkness too hard.

He didn’t move any closer, and you realized that it was too late to conceal your fear. You gave yourself away already, and now he was waiting too, making his decision. Your heart thudded in your chest, the grip of your paw tightening against the counter top. You swallowed, the noise covering the sound of your pulse in your ears. 

Filbo shuffled in the dark. He was rubbing his arms. His shoulders were hunched; he looked small. You wanted to touch him, but you were afraid... In this weird, charged phase of the night, it felt like he might fall apart beneath your hand, or spring at you like angry, flapping fragments of winged creatures. 

Finally, Filbo stepped into the light. He stood in the kitchen in front of you, solid and real, watching you. He was afraid to touch you too. "Buddy…" His voice was a low whisper. 

Like he was telling you a secret. 

"No." You smiled like it might be a joke, but it twisted into a look of anguish before you could convince yourself that this wasn't happening. The danger yawned underneath you like a big, black pit. You didn’t want to be right. You wanted to be stupid and paranoid and wrong. You wanted to lay back down with him and pretend. 

Filbo was quiet.

"Please…" You begged him. "Please…" 

Tears sprang to Filbo’s eyes, and you felt like your heart and lungs were being compressed inside of you. He shook his head, one paw over his mouth, the other reaching for you, and before you knew what you were doing you had dodged out of the way, dodging behind him and backing up. 

“Buddy-!” He turned quickly. 

“Why?!” You shouted, baring your teeth at this stranger. It scared you; it terrified you the same way the darkness in the woods on Snaktooth did, that uncertainty and sense of wrongness crawling in all around you like creatures in the dark. 

Filbo grabbed your arm and pulled you towards him before you could get away. You opened your mouth to scream or bite or protest, but all he did was hold you in a tight embrace, his shoulders trembling. “Not here!” He hissed into your ear. You stopped yourself from fighting him, frozen. “Not here! We can’t… They’ll hear everything. I’ll tell you, but we have to do this outside. I’ll tell you everything, but not here!” His arms tightened around you, his voice an urgent whisper. "Please…"

You swallowed, knowing he could feel your heart hammering in your chest. You could feel his, too, you realized… You were both frightened. 

“...Okay…" You said faintly. "Okay.”


	10. The Final Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT THE END! I'm making a comic to conclude the story. I'll probably post an extra chapter and put the link in there. Gonna be a bit before it's done because the dark thing is 30 pages long. Stay tuned! 
> 
> Also check out my tumblr, Snaktooth-Journalist.tumblr.com, for my bugsnax art! ;)

Your mind was numb as you slipped out of the door and into the chill of the night, with the stranger who had been sharing your home with you. Normally your arms would have been linked together; now, the only things that bridged the space between you were the cold air and your constant, paranoid glances.

The light was harsh and unyielding under the streetlight you eventually stopped under. You kept your eyes down for a moment to keep from seeing the harsh shadows that had formed on Filbo's face, instead watching the condensed shape of your own shadow shift underneath you as you moved. You could feel the weight of Filbo's gaze on you, like a tangible paw on your back. 

You cleared your throat to break yourself out of your trance. Facing him fully in the light, you pulled out your journal and microrecorder, pretending that all of this was a normal interview with a stranger. The cassette spun steadily under the plastic cover and your pencil hovered over the paper of your journal, your old friends waiting for you to start. You began the way you always began. 

“What’s your name.” 

The question was flat. Filbo looked slightly hurt, unsure.

You closed your eyes for a moment, maintaining your professional tone. "I need you to state your name for the recorder. ...Your real name." 

Filbo was quiet for a moment, his shoulders tensed as he seemed to debate something. "I… didn't lie about who I am, Buddy." His shoulders relaxed slightly, mind made up. "My name is Filbo Fiddlepie." 

"Okay." You were deadpan as you wrote it down. "What did you do for a living before Snaktooth. How did you make your money." 

He hesitated again. "They… Paid me."

The admission pierced the shell of your composure like an ice pick.

"They paid you.” You hissed. “They paid you to spy on us?" You lashed, making you both cringe. You had to avert your gaze, eyes finding refuge in your journal, suddenly aware of the rage lodged in your heart like a lump of smoldering coal. You tried to keep the furious shake out of your wrists, looking up again steadily and meeting Filbo's eyes. 

Filbo looked tired. "...Yes…" His voice was soft, quiet. 

You swallowed, looking down at your journal again. It was difficult, and searingly painful, but if you wanted answers, you had to try to ignore your feelings. You had to try. "...They've been paying you even after Snaktooth?" 

"...Yes." 

You shut your eyes, feeling them sting. "What's wrong with you?" You couldn't stop yourself. "Was any of this real to you? Do you care about any of us??" You opened your eyes, tears blurring your vision. "Did you ever really care about me!?" 

"Of course I care about you…! I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about you…!" He looked truly desperate, as if he thought the earnest intensity of his expression might somehow make you believe him.

Your claws dug into your journal and you quickly stole a wipe of your eyes with your paw, embarrassed by your outburst. You wanted to throw something, but instead you made yourself take a slow breath, centering yourself and doing your best to smooth away the betrayal in your expression.

"How did you get involved with… With this organization." You asked tersely.

Filbo sighed quietly. “I…” He had to clear his throat. “It happened a few years after I got out of school. My, um… My family hit some hard times. It had been tough before my dad died, but still, this was... Whew, hah…! Um…" He looked ruffled, nervous. "Liz had just left town again, and things were looking bad for us. My mom and brother had both been fired, our house had flooded, and we were close to losing everything. That's when they approached me.” 

He rubbed at his forehead with his paw, looking ashamed. “They said they were a local paper, looking for insight on Liz. At first, all they wanted were some interviews about her, what I knew about her, what her early life was like…” He sighed, sounding strained. “We needed the money, and I didn't think anything seemed weird about it.” 

Your brow furrowed. “Was it a one-time thing? 

"I thought it would be, but they kept asking me back… After the third interview, they offered me a job. All I had to do was… Was, um, talk to Liz every time she got back to town, and report back to them." 

"When did you realize it wasn't a newspaper?" You watched him, gaze steady.

"When nothing got published." Filbo bit his lip. "I… Went to try to find out more about them, but there was nothing. The publication just didn't exist." He shook his head. "The next time I met with them, I… Well, I mentioned that I couldn't find their offices. They laughed it off at first, but when I pressed them… Well, then one of the interviewers got up, shut the door, and locked it." 

"Did they threaten you…?" You asked.

Filbo shook his head. "No. Not outright. But…" He looked down at his paws, face grim. "But, they mentioned my dad." 

"Had he been involved with them?" You asked automatically. 

Filbo shook his head a little. "I don't know yet… They keep implying that he had been, but…" Shame was written on his face. "I don’t really have any proof… They just kept saying that he would be proud of me for what I was doing…" You could see tears glimmering in his eyes, but he wiped them away before they could fall. 

You looked away from him, your heart conflicted and heavy. "So… They hired you to spy on Liz for them. Did Liz ever suspect anything?"

Filbo shook his head. “I… No. No, but I wish she had." He frowned. "Buddy, I really thought I was doing the right thing. They told me she was involved in some dangerous things, and they just needed me to keep tabs on her. Some secrets need to stay secret, for the good of society…”

You were tense. He sounded like he still believed that sentiment. "What did they ask you to do?" 

Filbo shuffled. "It… Really wasn't much. All I did was throw little welcome home parties for her every time she came through town. We'd catch up, and I'd distract her enough to keep her from talking to other people about her discoveries. She usually didn't stay in town very long, so after she left, I'd… I'd write up my reports and go turn them in." 

"And they paid you for this?" You frowned. 

Filbo looked down. "Well… That, and the occasional errand. It wasn't much at first. Never anything big…" He shuffled. 

You were quiet for a moment, staring at your journal. "Filbo…" You looked up to meet his eyes. "Why did you keep working for them? You cared about Liz, didn't you?" 

Filbo cringed. "I never stopped caring about her… She was the only friend I had for a long time, Buddy…" 

"Then why..?" 

He turned his head slightly, eyes downcast. "I… I genuinely…" He rubbed his arms. "I genuinely thought I was… Helping."

"She spent her school years sticking up for me and keeping me safe, so when someone told me I could do the same for her… I just…" He sighed, head bowed. "I wanted to believe I could do something that would make our friendship worth it for her. I was just… I was just so tired of being useless and pathetic and getting left behind." He shook his head, eyes heavy with tears as he dug up his old memories. "I didn't realize how selfish and weak I had been until it was too late."

Every insult he spat at himself made you flinch. He had been holding onto these feelings for such a long time… You just wished you could fix it for him, reassure him that no one thought of him like that, but for now all you could do was let him talk. "Until it was too late? What do you mean…?" 

Filbo briefly wiped his eyes, taking a breath to steel himself. "They had convinced me I was doing the right thing, but I'm not as naive as people think I am. They asked me to do more and more, prompted me to get specific information from her, and I started to… To see what they were really doing. When my family members had gotten fired, when our house flooded, there were some weird circumstances surrounding those things. Some of the errands they asked me to do didn't make any sense, but I had the feeling they tied into other plots I couldn't see. By the time I realized I was in over my head, I suspected what they were capable of and I knew I couldn't quit. So, I just… Committed to staying. I played dumb, I did what they asked… But even then, they eventually began reminding me that…" He took a deep breath. "...That I’d have nothing if I ever stopped... that if… If Liz knew the truth she’d hate me, and I know they were right about all of that,” He drew in another, quicker breath to steady himself. “But I worked for them because I felt, I felt that, if I could convince Liz I was useless without her, then I could convince the organization I was useless without them too… I thought I’d be able to play them, that at least if it was me monitoring Liz, I could shield her from them, warn her if it ever looked like they would hurt her, but.. but...” He stifled a sob. “Oh god.”

You let him cry, regretting every second that passed where you refused to hold him. All you could do was watch as he wept into his paws, his grief cutting into the parts of you that loved him. You wouldn’t let yourself turn away. Even if you were strangers now, you wouldn’t turn your back on him. You couldn’t. Gradually, his sobs subsided. You held your pencil carefully in your paw, intently watching the cassette spin on your recorder. You regretted the question you had to ask, but you needed to know the truth. 

"...Did you give Liz the lead to Snaktooth?"

Filbo laughed, but it was a bitter, broken laugh. "No… No, I couldn't have lived with myself if I did… I can barely stand it now, but if I had been the one to… If…" He drew into himself, crushed, and he covered his face with his paws again. After a moment, he drew in a breath and ran his paws down his face. “...I-I’m sorry. I'm okay.“ 

You were quiet for a moment. The atmosphere weighed on you less heavily now than when you began. Filbo was glancing at you, equal parts resigned, determined, and miserable. You rubbed at your mouth as you tried to formulate your next question. 

“How much did you know, going into Snaktooth?” 

Filbo shuffled again. “More than I let on… Um, do you remember Triffany’s gramma?” 

You nodded. “Of course. Bronica Lottablog.” You frowned slightly.

Filbo continued, “Liz found an old journal from Bronica’s final expedition to Snaktooth. I don’t know where she got it or how it ended up on the mainland… I mean, I have my suspicions, but, um, there were sketches of Bugsnax in there… That’s, that’s why Liz started planning an expedition to Snaktooth. She was going to go there to search for the creatures herself.” 

Filbo paused, gathering his thoughts. He looked troubled. “When I told my, um, my contact about it, I got the feeling that they already knew about Liz's plans. They wanted me to ask to go with her, to convince her that she should bring people on the expedition. Liz and Eggabell were together at that point, so it wasn't that hard to convince them… All I did was mention to Eggabell that it would be safer to set up a homestead, and she rolled with it. Then all I had to do was ask Liz if I could join." 

He rubbed his arm again. "My overall mission on Snaktooth was to search for real Bugsnax, and if we found them I was supposed to avoid interacting with them as much as possible while encouraging other people to eat them. To… Facilitate that, they said I’d have to keep people at odds...” 

Your eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s why your parties always ended badly? You were instigating fights. Stoking tensions.” 

“I… I… Yes…” He grimaced. “Bugsnax were supposed to have some kind of positive mental effect on people, help them work together better as a group the more they ate. That’s… That’s why they wanted me to make people fight, so I could watch for signs that they were starting to get along… It took me too long to realize that part of the reason they wanted people to fight was so we’d stay isolated on the island...”   
You frowned as you made a note in your journal. “It couldn’t be a coincidence that Snorpy ended up on the island. Who was responsible for gathering up the grumps for the initial settlement?”

“Liz, um, had a few people she wanted to come specifically… Triffany, Wiggle, Eggabell of course… We made flyers for the rest. I told Liz I’d distribute them, and then my contact, Biggaby, took over. That’s how we got Chandlo, Snorpy, and Cromdo. Wiggle didn’t come with us on the initial voyage actually, we had to make a few trips…”   
You nodded, writing this down, engrossed. “In the video I received, I could see Chandlo, Cromdo, and Wambus in the background. You were all still setting up the town then. How many trips did you make back to the mainland, and how many videos did you send out?” 

“Er, we made around four or five videos…. Most were, um, basically advertisements Liz made to get people to come buy into bugsnax, but, but there was one we made specifically for you...” He said.

"And the trips back and forth?"

"Right, um… We made two trips back to the mainland after we got to the island. On the second trip we got supplies, picked up Wiggle, Gramble, and Beffica, and I dropped the videos off for my contact. I… Assume he mailed them out." Filbo said. "The third trip, I was supposed to pick up you and two others, but when I got to the dock Floofty and Shelda were the only ones waiting.” Filbo fidgeted. “Before we left, I told them I was going to go check on something, but that was just an excuse so I could go meet my contact at the usual spot. When I got there, he told me there had been a change of plans." He wrung his paws, looking away. "...Er… That’s when, I uh, was instructed to destroy the ship. Biggaby said they’d be sending you with a new one in three months, but in the meantime, he said it was imperative that, um, no one leave the island.”

You had a deep frown on your face. "I guess that explains why I received the video so late… Liz made that video before the town was even finished being built. It takes a week to two weeks to sail to Snaktooth from the closest port, and we almost assuredly left from the same port because Liz drew the map I received in the mail with the tape…" You rubbed your chin. "Each trip there and back would take you about a month on average, so it took three months for everyone to get there." 

Filbo nodded to confirm, looking slightly confused. 

"Sorry, just… Trying to figure out a timeline…" You marked it down. "You said I was late when I got there. How late was I?" 

"You were late by a lot, Buddy. When you didn't arrive with Floofty and Shelda, Chandlo stopped working on your hut so he could finish the others." 

"...My hut?" You blinked. 

Filbo looked surprised. "The half finished hut was always supposed to be for you. You… Didn't know?" 

"I guess I never… Huh." Filbo's expression had softened with affection, and you looked down at your journal to avoid having to see it. You noticed you were still recording. "Sorry," You shook your head, refocusing. "Let's keep moving. When I arrived, how long had you been on Snaktooth?" 

Filbo took a moment, considering. "I think… Almost a year at that point. A little less, but not by much." 

You marked that down, surprised by the answer. Your own time on Snaktooth had lasted five or six months. Time flew by so fast on the island, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that the island itself interfered with a grump's perception of time. That was something you'd have to pursue later, though. "Now…" You looked at him more seriously. "Were you trying to tear the expedition apart the whole time?" 

Filbo winced. "Well… Kinda. I, um… At first, I thought I might be able to nip the whole thing in the bud and get everyone to go home, but you can only burn a town down by accident so many times, weenie hands or no." 

You blinked. 

Filbo continued. "B-but after the big fight, I really did want everyone to come back to town! By then, I kind of suspected something was wrong with the bugsnax but I needed everyone to stay on the island long enough for us to find Liz. The more we fought and the more the island shook, the more likely it would be for someone to propose we just leave. I was scared someone would suggest it before we could get Liz back, so…" He shook his head. "I couldn't let that happen."

"Did you have any suspicions about what had happened to Liz at the time? Any leads?" You asked, watching him intently. 

Filbo nodded, looking down. "I ended up being wrong... Kinda... But, um. When I saw the Snaxsquatch for the first time, I thought it was her."

"That's when you screamed." Your brows furrowed. "When we were telling ghost stories. I always wondered…" You paused. "When I went to check on you, there was something in the outhouse, but you stopped me before I could open the door. When I asked you why you screamed, you played dumb. You thought it was Liz? Why would you keep it a secret?" 

Filbo rubbed the back of his head. "I… well, it scared the grump out of me, and I just shoved it into the outhouse without thinking. I really thought it was Liz, and I thought if you and the others saw her like that you'd get scared and want to leave… You would have had your question answered, and some people would have assumed we couldn't help her. Everyone would freak out about eating bugsnax and more arguments would break out. That's why I had to make sure no one saw her. When I began heading back, I saw you weren't with the others by the fire so I had to run back to stop you from seeing it.”

"That makes sense, but… You didn't stop anyone from eating bugsnax after that, Filbo. You must have suspected how dangerous they were, and yet you didn't warn anyone." You pointed out. 

Filbo looked genuinely guilty, pausing as he gathered his thoughts. "...I know. I didn't see what good it would do. Back then, if I said something outright it usually got ignored, or worse, it would start an argument. I couldn't tell them why they shouldn't eat them, and they might not have believed me anyways. Even if they did listen, they'd just start getting hungry again, and we know things aren't… Ideal when everyone gets hungry."

You stared at your journal for a moment, processing. "I… Guess I see your point." You hated to admit it, but Filbo was probably right. Things were too unstable at the time, and warning people without evidence might have just made things worse. You looked up. "...What contact have you had with your organization since returning?" 

Filbo looked thoughtful. "We had the meeting with Clumby, and I met with my contact a day before Snorpy's party-"

"Wait, CLUMBY!?" Your jaw dropped. "You… Clumby??" 

Filbo shuffled guiltily. "Yyyeeaaah… Sorry to tell you, Buddy…"

You were shocked by how much that upset you, your expression a mix of disbelief and horror. "That's why she… That's why she believed you as a witness, despite pretending not to know your name. That's the only reason she believed us and let us go, because you were there to vouch for us." You stared at the ground, hit with another realization. "That's- The Grumpfoot…! The fact checking…!" You put a paw to your forehead, mind racing. You had been deliberately discredited by GNN! Filbo cringed and shuffled a bit closer, like he might try to comfort you, but you took a hasty step back. "You went back inside the day I was fired. Why?"

Filbo grimaced. "I… Well… I needed to inform her we were uh, going to stay together so I could… So I could monitor you. And, she gave me some equipment…" 

"You bugged my apartment, didn't you." You couldn't help but glare. Filbo shrank away. 

"Buddy, I had to… If I didn't, they would have known I wasn't playing for their team anymore." 

You shook your head like that would clear the topic. "They might still suspect you." 

Filbo nodded, his expression grim. "I know for a fact they do. It's only a matter of time before they find out what we all know and come after us." He took a step closer. "That's why I had to launch my campaign right away, Buddy. A nobody and a disgraced, legally dead reporter are easy to disappear, but a mayor and his speechwriter…" 

"Okay, disgraced is going a little too far…" But you saw his point. "Either way, that apartment is not safe. They know where I live, and if they find an excuse to get in, they're going to find all the pictures and traps and notes I took on Snaktooth. They'll know. I have to clear it out." 

Filbo nodded. "I agree. And, we should really look into getting a new place. Somewhere less isolated…" 

You tensed slightly. You stopped recording, carefully shutting your journal. "Filbo…" You broke eye contact. "...We both need to look into getting new places." 

He was quiet for a moment. His face fell as realisation sank in. "...Buddy, please, wait…"

You couldn't look at him. "I won't lie to you, Filbo. I won't tell you nothing has… Has changed, because it has." You said quietly, rubbing your paw.

He looked down, like he was searching for something to say. "...I… I understand that things have to change, but… The only way I can keep you safe is if we stick together…!" 

"Filbo, I don't need you to keep me safe." You said it with more force than you meant to and you immediately regretted it. You looked away again. "I'm fine on my own. I always have been. I don't need you to shield me from the secrets you kept." 

There was a quiet, silent despair in him as he looked at you. It radiated from him the way blood stained water, but he only nodded. He only nodded, and said nothing. 

You watched him for a moment, his sadness renewing your anger even as you felt your heart ache in your chest. How could he claim to care about you, after keeping this secret? How could you let yourself fall for someone you didn't really know? He didn't trust you with your own life, so how could you ever trust him? Nothing was left.

Snaktooth had ruined your life. You were legally dead, fired, probably blacklisted in your field like Snorpy, but unlike Snorpy you didn't have the support of someone who loved you. All you had now was Filbo's secret - a burden you had to share that would drive a wedge between you and the people you had met and loved on that damn island. You had trusted, and now you were ruined. This interview meant nothing. You stared down at your journal, and you suddenly hated it with all your heart. You hated it, but throwing it away would mean losing the only thing you had left that mattered to you: the truth. 

You exhaled quietly, diligently forcing yourself not to tear up, not in front of him. You had had enough of that tonight. "I'm going, Filbo." You hated the strain in your voice. "I need to get rid of any evidence of Snaktooth, but after that the apartment is yours tonight. Just… Clear out in the morning so I can get my things."

Filbo looked concerned. "But… Where will you-" 

"You don't need to worry about that." You cut him off. "Just leave me alone for a while." 

Pain flashed in his eyes, a fresh wound, and you hated yourself for it. You felt sick and miserable, but you had to stand your ground. You couldn't believe anything anymore. If Filbo had shown you who he really was tonight, then you didn't want to see any more of it. 

Filbo didn't argue. "...Okay…" He nodded slightly, watching his own shadow with heavy eyes. 

Everything was blurry under the harsh light of the streetlight. You turned and left without saying goodbye.


	11. Snaktooth's Last Secret: End Comic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This comic is meant to wrap up the story! I'll post each page as I finish coloring it. 
> 
> There will be at least 2 parts. Part 1 is 14-15 pages long. 
> 
> Posting updates here: 
> 
> https://twitter.com/L0sw3

<https://snaktooth-journalist.tumblr.com/post/644418406631751680/snaktooths-last-secret-page-1-updates-posted-to>


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